Starry Skies
by fezwearingjellybananas
Summary: A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, there was a girl and a boy. And another girl, another boy, a few more people, an evil empire, a rebellion, several explosions, and a rickety old spaceship [A FitzSimmons Star Wars AU]
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

-:-

Jemma curled up in her spot. Most people were too big to reach under here, it was the perfect hiding place.

Footsteps came from outside. People talking about something. The woman mentioned a girl, and Jemma took a sharp breath.

"Under the ship," she said. A man crouched down and looked straight at her.

"Hello, Jemma."

"Phil." She crawled out. "Mum said to hide."

"That's right, Jemma. There's some not nice people and we're going to use this ship to get away from them."

"Mum said so."

"Where is she?"

"She went to see what the noises were. She said to wait for her or you but no one else." Jemma looked at the stranger Phil was with.

"It's all right, you're safe."

"You're dressed like a Jedi."

"I am," the woman said. "My name's Melinda May."

"I'm Jemma Simmons."

"It's lovely to meet you, Jemma. Phil?"

"Two more minutes."

"Why don't you come inside, Jemma?"

"What about Mum?"

"It's okay," Phil said. "She'll find you. She knows the meeting point, so even if she doesn't get on this ship, she can get on the next one."

"Tell you what," Ms May said. "Why don't you look after this for me?"

"What is it?"

"A lightsaber. I'll show you how to use it."

"But I'm not a Jedi."

"I know. You don't have to be a Jedi to use one. Okay?"

"Okay."

* * *

"Mum's not coming, is she?"

"I don't know, Jemma. We'll wait for her."

"Is she dead, Phil?"

"No. No, I don't think so. She'll come, Jemma."

"Miss May's going."

"She is."

"Are you going to?"

"No. I'm going to wait here. There's still people arriving off Coruscant, they need help."

"What about me?"

"You can wait with me for your mother."

"Phil?"

"Mel. You off?"

"I need to check Devaron. There's a Jedi Temple there, maybe…"

"Maybe someone else made it."

"And I need to find this girl before the Empire do."

"What girl?" Jemma asked.

"Did you meet Master Windu?"

"No."

"Well, he was a Jedi, a very powerful Jedi. He found a little girl, about your age who had the potential to be a Jedi too, but she wasn't old enough to go with him to start training just yet. He was going to go and check on her before the Empire attacked."

"They killed the other Jedi."

"They did, which is why I need to find her. If I see your Mum, I'll tell her you're with Phil."

"Okay. Thank you. Bye Miss May."

"Bye Jemma. Phil."

"I'll come and wave you off. Jemma, why don't you go see if you can make any friends?"

"Okay."

Jemma ran outside, hovering around near the house. A boy was lying on the ground outside the house opposite, studying a flower. He smiled up at her.

"Hi."

"Hi."

"Did you come on one of the ships?"

"Yes."

"My dad says they're people who are running away from the Empire. Are you running away?"

"My Mum said they were bad people and I had to stay with Phil."

"Not with her?"

"I don't know where she is."

"Oh. We'll go on an adventure and find her if you want."

"The Empire might not like that."

"I'll fight them for you."

Jemma smiled. The boy rolled over, dusting himself off, and sitting up.

"We can fight them together if you want."

"I'm supposed to stay with Phil."

"My dad says I'm not allowed to leave the planet until I'm a grown up anyway. Maybe there's some in the woods?"

"There's woods?"

"What's it like where you're from?"

"Coruscant doesn't have any plants or anything, just cities."

"Oh. We've got lots of plants. What's your name?"

"Jemma Simmons."

"My name's Will Daniels. Come on, Jemma Simmons, it's this way."

* * *

"Jemma, you need to collect some supplies."

"Phil?" Jemma looked up from where she was tinkering with a few parts on the table. Phil looked harried. She stood up.

"Enough for a trip. No getting distracted by droids."

"What's happening?"

"I don't know. But we need to get to Devaron."

"Devaron?"

"I spoke with your mother, she's just seen Melinda, we need to get off the planet."

"I'll go ask Will if he's got anything."

"Does he still want to learn to fly?"

"He's always talking about it."

"Tell him now's as good a time as any."

"Phil, what's going on?"

"I don't know yet. Tell him."

* * *

Will helped his parents in their stall, a mish-mash of everything anyone might need, but he wanted to be up in the skies. Will could name every ship that flew in, but he hadn't left yet. He was waiting for the right time, he said. Wanted to spend a little more time with his parents. One day, Will said. One day he'd be up there flying, just like they'd talked about when they were kids.

He'd loved hearing Jemma's stories about other places in the galaxy, and she loved all the places he showed her.

Two children, both in wonder of the galaxy, Jemma remembered. But somewhere it had all gone wrong.

He smiled when she walked in, but frowned at the list Jemma reeled off.

"You're going somewhere."

"Phil and I are going to go and meet my mother."

"You've never left before."

"Not for a long time."

"So why now?"

"I don't know. He said to tell you that you should go for it."

"For what?"

"Flying. Exploring the galaxy."

"Phil said that. Phil Coulson, the man who said leaving the planet was too dangerous."

"We're not ten anymore. Well, I'm not at least." She smiled, but it didn't do much to ease the tension in the room. Something was definitely wrong. Phil had looked so worried about something, which meant she was uneasy about whatever was happening, and Will had clearly noticed.

"The Empire are going to try something, aren't they."

"You're so pessimistic, Will. Besides, it's not like I told him what you told me."

"They say Princess Leia leads the Alliance."

"People say a lot of things."

"And maybe some of them are even true. It's the right thing to do, Jem. To fight."

"I know. But there's so many more of them."

"That's why they need all the help they can get. What about you?"

"I don't know. I've got to go with Phil."

"Maybe we'll run into each other again."

"Maybe." She handed over a few credits as she took the supplies from Will.

"Need a hand?"

"I've got it."

"Good luck with wherever you're going."

"Good luck finding a ship and being shot at."

"I'll be fine, Jemma. I need to talk my parents round still."

"Please come home again."

"I promise. I was born on Alderaan, I'll die on Alderaan."

* * *

"I know Devaron."

The woman crossed her arms, leaning against the bar, facing Phil. She wasn't from Alderaan, that was plain to see. Her hair was dark and short, hanging loose in waves, and her clothes were nothing like the styles typically worn on Alderaan. Her shirt might have been white once, but not anymore, and it hang loose above her trousers, tucked slightly into a belt. Jemma just make out a blaster under her jacket. Her sleeves were rolled up, and it hung lower than usual, and seemed to be slipping down her shoulders a little too. Far more like the kind worn by some of the merchants who came through the port.

The woman seemed to be studying her too. Both of them. Jemma shuffled a little.

"You've got a nice planet here. What'd you want to go to Devaron for?" she asked.

"An old friend of mine lives there," Phil said. "I haven't seen her in a long time."

"And you choose now to visit?"

"Can you get us there or not?"

"No questions, I got it. I can check with the rest of the crew. Normally we're cargo, but I'm sure we can make an exception."

"We'll pay you once we arrive."

"Which means you haven't got anything to pay us with."

"Twenty credits. And we can work for the duration of our passage."

"That's all you're offering?"

"Thirty."

"A hundred."

"Forty."

"Eighty."

"Sixty."

"All right, you've got yourself a deal. Only because we need the money." She shook Phil's hand, then leant her elbow on the bar and her head on her hand. "Daisy Johnson, captain of the _Ilum_."

"Ilum?"

"The _Ilum_ , yeah, it's the name of our ship. So?"

"Doesn't matter. Phil Coulson. This is Jemma Simmons."

"Simmons? Huh, I thought you were his daughter."

"Her parents are friends of mine."

"Right. Bit of a commotion out there, I thought that kind of stuff only happened in the Outer Rim."

"Is your ship nearby?"

"Just out the back. You can't miss her, she's quite something."

"I'll meet you there, I'll just go and see what's going on."

"All right. Ms Simmons?"

"Go with her, Jemma."

"Okay."

"That's odd," Daisy said.

"What?"

"Nothing. I just get these headaches sometimes. I think we need to hurry. Ship's this way."

Jemma followed her.

Daisy wasn't joking, the _Ilum_ was something.

It was incredible. Absolutely incredible.

That it was still in one piece.

Jemma looked at her to see if she was joking, but Daisy looked proud.

"Isn't she a beauty?"

"Erm."

"All the work of my crew, of course. Fitz, get out here!"

A man appeared at the door. He was dressed in a similar fashion to Daisy, sans holster, but he was paler, with short curls, and his jacket seemed to actually fit him. Jemma questioned whether she was wearing his, but it didn't look like hers would fit him either. Someone else then. Another crew member perhaps?

"You're here, we need to go."

"We've got two passengers in need of a lift to Devaron."

"There's no time, look at the scanners."

Daisy headed to the cockpit, widening her eyes.

"We won't make it. She's not fast enough."

"Unless we take off at lightspeed."

"It'll throw the hyperdrive again."

"I'll fix her, just get us out of here."

"Jemma, take a seat," Daisy said. "It's going to get bumpy."

"What about Phil?"

"We've got seconds probably."

"Until what?"

"From the looks of things, until the planet blows up," Fitz said.

"I can't leave Phil."

"You don't have a choice," Daisy said.

Jemma clung to the seat as the ship rumbled to life, everything blurring around her.

The ship spluttered, coming to a halt, hovering above Alderaan. Jemma looked down at the green and blue. Last time she'd seen that view she was just arriving, leaving her old home behind. Time seemed to slow as something green streaked through the stars, striking the planet.

Jemma covered her mouth as the planet shattered.

It was completely silent.

The core broke apart, rocks splitting and cracking. A bright flash broke through the planet, throwing the ship back.

Jemma could feel her eyes prickling as she looked at the hole where Alderaan used to be.

A few rocks floated past.

Oh, Phil. Will. Everyone was still down there, except there wasn't a there to be down on and that meant...

Fitz was kneeling next to Daisy, who had her head in her hands.

"I'm fine, I'm fine."

"You sure?"

"You need to go and fix the ship so we can get out of this system."

"Daisy-"

"Fitz, I'm fine."

"We shouldn't have even been here, we're supposed to be delivering these parts to Mack."

"And the hyperdrive broke, can you get it working?"

"Did you get the parts?"

"Some of them."

"I'll give it my best shot."

Fitz disappeared into another part of the ship. Daisy's face softened as she looked at Jemma.

"I'm sorry."

"I don't understand."

"There's been rumours about the Empire's latest weapon. I guess we just saw it in action."

"It's gone."

"Coulson was still down there, I'm-"

"Phil. He's…"

"Jemma. You need to sit down. Come on, I'll find a bunk for you."

"The Empire will come looking."

"Fitz is a dab hand at this, we'll be up and running again in no time. Bunks are this way."

* * *

By the time Jemma woke up the ship was moving, albeit slowly. She opened the door, heading to the cockpit to see if Daisy was there.

"Hey. You okay?"

"I…"

"Yeah, makes sense. Your parents-"

"They weren't there. We were going to go and meet them."

"I see. Guessing you don't want questions either. Here, I'll show you round, Fitz is still working on the engine."

Jemma followed Daisy out the cockpit

"So, this is the _Ilum._ She's a bit old and knackered, but then, we stole her from a scrap yard, so all things considered she's top of the range."

"You stole…"

"It's not like anyone else was using her, and we were in a hurry."

Jemma looked at her, and Daisy smiled.

"Relax, we might be smugglers in a stolen ship, but we're nice ones."

"Oh." Well, that was comforting. She might be in a ship with criminals, on her way to a planet she didn't know with no home left to go to, without knowing if she could even find the one person she knew for certain was there, and a sudden realisation that Phil had both their supplies and their credits, but at least they were _nice_.

"Through here we've got the bunks, that one's yours, this is mine, and that's Fitz's," Daisy said.

"There's no one else?"

"Nah, just us."

Not another crew member's jacket then.

"Through here we've got communal area for eating and stuff like that, and that room is Fitz's."

"I thought you said that was Fitz's bunk."

"Oh, no, I mean, it's where he stores things. Best not touch it."

"Okay."

"You know, it's very lucky you left Alderaan when you did," Daisy said, curious.

"What are you saying?"

"It's almost as if you knew."

"I just know Phil told me to leave. I didn't know what was going to happen."

"He work for the Empire?"

"No."

"Rebel?"

"No."

"Alderaan's famous for it, you know. Even your princess is one."

"I thought that was just a rumour?"

"Perhaps it is. But Fitz told me she was, and he's usually good at separating fact from fiction. So, you a Rebel?"

"No. Will… My friend was talking about joining them. But I was talking to him yesterday morning. I don't know if he left the planet or not."

"You're sure your Phil didn't have inside knowledge?"

"I don't know. I don't think so. He wasn't that sort of person. What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Both of you. More Fitz. The way he was talking earlier, and you said he knows for a fact that Princess Leia is a Rebel, sounds like he's got inside information."

"Perhaps. No, Fitz is not a Rebel. We prefer staying out of politics. Never ends well."

"Then how does Fitz get his information?"

"That's his story. Nope, smuggling is much easier, trust me on that, Jemma. I think Fitz is through here."

* * *

Fitz's jacket was strewn across the floor, tools littering it. Daisy nudged a foot and he stuck his head out from under some wiring. He looked as messy as the floor, even his smile was lopsided. But nether-the-less, it was a smile, and Jemma couldn't help but smile back.

"Hey."

He jumped up, brushing himself off.

"How's she looking?" Daisy asked.

"There's enough in her to get to Tatooine by tomorrow, but that's it, and there's no guarantee Mack has a replacement hyperdrive."

"It's better than hanging around here," Daisy said. "And Tatooine's Outer Rim, it's a bit further out than Devaron, but it's not far. If all else fails you can hitch a lift with someone from there. I'd avoid most of them though. Mack might be the only decent person on the planet."

"Who's Mack?"

"Friend of ours," Fitz said. "He's nice."

"This ship isn't from the Outer Rim, though, so is he likely to have a hyperdrive that fits?"

"Better than no hyperdrive at all. You know where this ship's from?"

"No. It's old. I, um, I used to see a lot of ships, it's.. I don't know."

"We don't know exactly ether," Daisy said. "It's not a Mandalorian ship, and I grew up on Concord Dawn, so probably not from there. That's where the place we stole it was. She's one of a kind, aren't you, girl?"

"Mandalorian?" Jemma asked.

"Half. I'm guessing you've heard stories of bounty hunters and all sorts."

"Daisy's not like that," Fitz said. "Well, not exactly. She's some kind of freighter, just an old one. Mack will have something."

"I'm going to go and see if we're getting anywhere," Daisy said. "You okay down here, Fitz?"

"I can help, if you want," Jemma said.

"You know much about fixing ships, Simmons?"

"A little."

"Two pairs of hands are better than one."

* * *

"Yes!"

Fitz pushed himself out, jumping up. He offered Jemma a hand, picking up his jacket. Jemma took it, following him to the cockpit.

"Put your foot down, Daisy!"

He offered Jemma a seat before taking his own in the co-pilot's seat. Jemma was pushed backwards as the ship sped up. The stars vanished as they sped up faster and faster, blasting through space.

Jemma took a deep breath. Daisy pulled out of hyperspeed.

"Can you smell burning?"

"Told you it would blow it," Fitz said. "I'll get a blanket."

* * *

"Tatooine," Daisy said, landing. "Where all the scum in the universe end up."

"It's dry, nothing grows, everything's sand, and it's full of bounty hunters, smugglers, and all the crooks you can find in the galaxy," Fitz said. "Basically, stick close to us and you'll be fine."

Daisy seemed to have landed the ship next to a shop. An extraordinarily tall man (or perhaps Jemma was just small) was outside, arguing with someone.

"Mack!"

"Tremors, good to see you, girl." He looked around, then nodded towards the door. Daisy frowned, but headed inside. "We'll finish this later, Akela."

"If they don't find them they'll look harder and yours will be the first place they shut down if you don't get rid of those Tie parts."

"I will, I will. Later. I've got to deal with this first."

Mack shut the door behind them. He frowned at Jemma.

"She's a friend," Fitz said.

"You got any Empire stuff, Turbo?"

"I don't think so."

"You didn't pick anything up from Alderaan?"

"How did you-" Fitz looked at Jemma, then at her dress. "Never mind. Just a passenger and some bits to repair the ship."

"No droids."

"None," Daisy said. "What's going on?"

"There's Stromtroopers crawling all over there place looking for two droids. They've already searched my place."

"They'd have more luck with the Jawas," Daisy said. "You heard about Alderaan then."

"Just that it's the origin of the two droids the Empire are after. What happened to Alderaan?"

"Did you hear any of those rumours about the Empire's new weapon?"

"A few."

"Well, it destroys planets. And they tested it on Alderaan."

"That's impossible."

"We saw it," Jemma said. "It shattered."

"I'm sorry," Mack said. "You be careful, Daisy. Trouble's brewing, I can feel it. We've just had a lot go off, word is they joined the Alliance, if I were you I'd lay low for a while."

"That won't be hard, the hyperdrive caught fire again," Fitz said. "You don't have a new one, do you?"

"You don't need a new hyperdrive, you need a new ship."

"I think I saw the _Millennium Falcon_ fly past earlier, we could steal it," Daisy said.

"I can fix her," Fitz said. "Besides, I thought you settled this?"

"She is a nice ship though. And we can leave the _Ilum_ here, it's not like anyone's going to come and steal her."

"No, you'd have to be a complete idiot to steal a ship with a malfunctioning hyperdrive. Oh wait."

"Did I or did I not save our lives?"

"We literally crashed back into Concord Dawn five minutes later."

"And five seconds ago you were telling me you could fix her."

"I just don't think we should steal one."

"We stole our ship."

"But no one was using it. Fine, you really want to steal a ship? I'll get my tools."

"Well, we're lying low for the next couple of days, no rush, right?"

"Honestly, you two," Mack said, smiling.

* * *

"Apparently Han Solo skipped town with your two droids just before we got here," Daisy said.

"How do you know they were the same droids?" Mack asked.

"Just a guess, really. There were a lot of Stormtroopers shooting at them. Bartender said he had some kid and an old man with him, Kenobi? Weird, I could swear I know that name from somewhere."

"Who's Han Solo?" Jemma asked.

"Smuggler," Daisy shrugged. "Or he was before Jabba stuck a bounty on his head so large every bounty hunter in the galaxy will be after him. He technically owns the _Falcon_ , the ship we were talking about earlier."

"Oh."

"Come on, we should get you a change of clothes before anyone notices the Alderaan girl hanging around Tatooine."

Jemma nodded following her into the ship. Daisy pulled out a shirt and trousers like hers, and handed them to Jemma. She shrugged.

"They might fit."

"Thank you."

Daisy left her to get changed. Her and Fitz did seem nice. So did Mack. At least if she was going to be laying low for a while, she wasn't alone.

* * *

Fitz was working on fitting the new hyperdive. Jemma sat and helped when he needed an extra pair of hands or if he needed something passed to him. They talked while they worked. She told him about Phil, and Will, and home. Mostly he talked about places he'd visited with Daisy.

He laughed about Daisy threatening to steal a new ship too. The _Ilum_ was home, he said, to the both of them. That was why they were still using her, despite her habit of breaking. Daisy was Daisy. She was mostly joking about these things. They'd been together a long time, they knew each other.

Jemma smiled. She was happy for them. Finding someone important like that. Will had been her best friend, but he was…

The loss of Alderaan was still sinking in.

Fitz smiled.

"Here, that's probably enough for today." He picked up his tools. He opened the door to the store cupboard and a blast of cold air hit Jemma. She shivered, and Fitz offered her his jacket.

"Sorry. They don't like it too hot, so I put them in the same room as the engine coolant."

"Who don't?"

Fitz blushed and Jemma looked in the room. There were leaves everywhere, plants growing against the walls and along the shelves.

"You grow plants in space?"

"Strictly speaking, we're not in space at the moment. They remind me of home."

"You haven't said anything about it. Daisy's talked a bit about Concord Dawn, but you haven't even told me which planet you're from."

"No. This one's the first one. It's from a cutting of one that grew in my mum's garden. It's almost all I've got."

"Fitz?"

"Here." He offered Jemma a tiny blue flower picked from the vine. She tucked it behind her ear. "It's beautiful. Suits you."

"Thank you."

"Do you know what you're looking for on Devaron?"

"I think so."

"If you can't find it, you can always stay with us."

"I'll think about it. Your-"

"Keep it. I can get another one, and not everywhere's as warm as Tatooine."

"Thank you."

* * *

Mack was nice too, Jemma liked him. He reminded her a little of someone she used to know, a long time ago, but she couldn't quite put her finger on who exactly.

And Tatooine was… Well nice wasn't the right word, but interesting might have been. Especially now most of the Stormtroopers had cleared off and they could go out more without the risk of running into them.

Fitz's jacket was just a tiny bit too big for Jemma, but it was warm, and smelt of engines and plants. Now she knew what was in Fitz's little cupboard, she picked the smell up in most of the _Ilum_. It was comforting, in a way.

The tiny blue flower sat had sat in a tiny cup of water by her bunk until it had started to wilt, so Jemma had borrowed a box from Mack and placed in underneath.

Will had showed her this years ago. Pressing flowers.

She tucked it in the pocket of Fitz's jacket.

Daisy's shirt was too big too, and the only other belt she had was a spare holster, but it did its job.

Mack fixed up droids, and Jemma watched on with fascination. He and Fitz both taught her a few tricks, and in turn, she taught them some. Daisy rolled her eyes and joked they should run into another smuggler next, instead of a travelling mechanic.

Mack reminded her that he was quite happy staying on Tatooine for the time being.

He kept hitting his head on the ship.

The four of them had laughed, properly laughed.

It wasn't like that at night. Every time she closed her eyes she could see Alderaan shattering. She gave up on her bunk one night and headed out into the cockpit, looking up.

"You know," Fitz said. She turned, seeing him smile from the doorway. "If you're having trouble sleeping, you can sleep with me. Wait, I mean like cuddling in the same bed, wait, no, like, erm, I mean-"

"I know what you meant, Fitz," Jemma said, smiling at him. "And it's sweet of you to offer. I just need more practice. When I couldn't sleep at home Phil used to sit with me out on the roof and watch the stars. I'd fall asleep up there and I'd wake up downstairs in my bed."

"My Mum and I used to do that sometimes. My dad was a pilot. We'd look up and pretend we could see his ship coming in." He nodded. "If you need anything, Simmons, you know where I am."

Fitz left her, heading back to his bunk.

* * *

Daisy slipped her blaster into her holster, pulling her jacket round to cover it. She smiled at Jemma, shrugging.

Jemma had Fitz's jacket on, wrapped around her. Fitz was just in a shirt, holster-less. He'd cheered up again and smiled at Jemma.

"Stay close," Daisy said.

"I will."

Jemma followed her through the city, Fitz standing protectively over her shoulder. Daisy walked into a crowded bar and leant over the side, ordering three drinks.

A band was playing in the corner, and Jemma couldn't think of a time she'd seen so many people since the Empire came to power.

She sipped her drink and scrunched up her face. Fitz smiled before throwing his down his throat.

"Daisy Johnson," a voice said. Daisy turned round with a groan. "Fancy seeing you here."

"Grant Ward. You're still alive."

"Who's that?" Jemma asked Fitz.

"Grant Ward, he's an old acquaintance of Daisy's."

"I take it he's not a friend."

"No."

"I see you're still travelling with Fitz," Ward said. "And who's this?"

"Simmons," Daisy said.

"Fitz and Simmons. Sounds like quite the crew you've got there." The sarcasm in his voice wasn't exactly subtle. Daisy swung her arms over their shoulders.

"Best in the business."

"So how'd you end up smuggling with these two?" Ward asked.

"Oh, I wanted to see the galaxy," Jemma said.

"You sound like Fitz. You here trading?"

"Fixing up our ship," Daisy said. "What are you doing here?"

"Chasing some rumours."

"Hmm. Han Solo?"

"What?"

"I heard he was wanted by both the Empire and Jabba, made off with those two droids the other day. Heading for Alderaan, far as I could tell."

"Bit hard, Alderaan no longer exists."

"Seriously? That one's true?"

"And you're famous for knowing all there is to know."

"Nah, Fitz and I just keep our ears open to all the gossip in the galaxy. Well, we're showing Jemma round town, we should be going."

"See you around, Daisy."

"Not if I see you first."

Fitz wrapped an arm round Jemma as they left, glancing back over his shoulder to make sure Ward wasn't following them. Most of the others in the bar weren't paying much attention, but there was one. A man sitting in the corner sipped his drink. Daisy frowned at him.

"Problem?" he asked.

"None of your business."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

-:-

Mack waved them off when they left for Devaron. They waited a few days because Daisy had another headache, and Fitz wanted to make sure she was all right, but after that they were on their way.

They didn't go to lightspeed. They went faster than before, but they stuck to cruising speed. Daisy said it was easier to pilot at anyway.

Cruising through space. Fitz didn't mention either of his parents again, but Jemma took the flower out her pocket sometimes before she tried to sleep. She smiled at it.

She had no idea how she was supposed to find Master May on Devaron, Phil didn't tell her anywhere specific, but she'd find her somehow. Perhaps her mother was still there, waiting for her.

She'd miss Daisy and Fitz. Maybe she'd only known them a couple of weeks, and maybe she didn't know much about their pasts or anything, but they didn't know much about hers, and they were friendly. And they'd accepted her so quickly even without knowing much about her. She would miss them.

Or perhaps they realised Jemma needed a distraction from losing her home. But that was still kind of them.

The ship rocked. Jemma frowned, heading out of her bunk. Daisy looked like she was doing the same.

"What's going on?"

"No idea."

The two of them ran to the cockpit. Jemma pressed her fingers to the flower for good luck as Daisy leapt into her seat.

"Report, Fitz," Daisy

"We're taking fire."

"What? Who'd be shooting at us?"

"Looks like a Tie."

"Excuse me?"

He pulled a scanner in front of Daisy. She looked at Jemma.

"Your Phil."

"He wasn't Rebel or Empire. He just had a friend."

"A friend who heard about the Empire's plan to destroy Alderaan? Because even Fitz didn't know that."

"Daisy, less questioning why someone is trying to shoot us, more trying not to be shot," Fitz said.

"Can't you shoot back?" Jemma asked.

"We don't have any weapons on this thing."

"What?"

"We've got a thing in case of asteroids," Daisy said. "But no actual weapons. We went by the assumption that if we're not armed, people won't see us as a threat and won't attack us."

"Oh, that's really working out for you."

"Well, it's worked pretty well so far."

"We can argue later," Fitz said. "Asteroid belt."

"We can't outmanoeuvre a Tie in an asteroid belt," Jemma said.

"Then we surrender."

"Daisy-" Fitz said.

"Slow down. Let them go past us. Follow them when they come in to land."

"Daisy, you can't."

"Trust me, Fitz. I've got a plan."

Daisy's plan- thankfully, as Jemma would later discover the exact details and it was among the worst she ever heard, involving taking off while Daisy was still hanging on to the outside of the ship- didn't need to be put into action. Another ship passed them, firing its own weapons.

"We're being followed," Daisy said. "Fitz, calculate the jump to hyperspace."

* * *

Devaron was green. Trees covered it, forming a large canopy, towering over them as they disembarked. Jemma couldn't see any form of sentient life, but they'd seen some clearings and buildings between the trees, so there must have been some.

That and she knew that Devarionans were from Devaron, so they must live somewhere. Daisy must have just chosen a particularly forested bit for whatever reason. Possibly because they were being followed.

Daisy doubled over. Fitz was at her side in seconds.

"You okay?"

"I can feel…"

"Daisy, you need to rest. Come on, we'll help Jemma on her search in the morning."

"I'm fine, I-"

"If you need to lie down, lie down," Jemma said. "Devaron's not going anywhere. I can handle myself from here."

"We're escorting you to wherever you need to go," Fitz said. "Come on, both of you can sit down."

* * *

Fitz knocked on Jemma's door. He sat down next to her on the bunk.

"Is Daisy okay?"

"She's fine."

"That's the third one she's had recently. Forth, maybe."

"She'll be fine. She always is."

"If you're sure."

"She's always had them. More frequently recently. She'll be fine."

"I'm sure she will, Fitz. That ship earlier-"

"Rebel."

"You know that?"

"A bounty hunter would have stuck a tracker on us, I checked."

"Lucky they were there."

"Daisy said they were following us. I don't know why they would, but I'm sure they have a reason."

"You don't think it's to do with Alderaan, do you?"

"Maybe. But we were there anyway, Jemma, really, if it hadn't been for you bringing Daisy back we might never have left."

"So. I guess we're searching Devaron tomorrow?"

"I guess so."

* * *

Surprise surprise, the first place Daisy found was a bar. Her hand was hovering over her blaster. Fitz still hadn't found another jacket, but he insisted Jemma should keep that one. She touched the flower before they went into the bar.

Daisy frowned at someone sitting by the wall. He looked familiar.

She slipped in next to him.

"So, is it you I should be thanking for following us?"

"Can't deny it was useful."

"Who are you?"

"Antoine Triplett."

Jemma sat down next to Fitz. Triplett couldn't get past Daisy, and she pushed her jacket back to show her blaster. He nodded.

"I'm just here to help."

"You followed us from Tatooine to Devaron without announcing yourself, doesn't sound much like helping to me."

"You mentioned Alderaan."

"Alderaan's gone," Jemma said. "I don't know how, or why, but it's gone."

"Why, because the Empire wanted to make a statement, how, because they built a huge weapon, called the Death Star. The Rebel Alliance launched an attack, it's been destroyed."

"You could have just told us that."

"I'm looking for someone."

"From Alderaan?"

"A Jemma Simmons. Will asked me to."

"Will Daniels? He's alive, Will's alive?"

"He's alive, last I saw. He thought this might be why your Phil was talking about leaving."

"Phil was planning on visiting an old friend, that's why we were going to leave. I don't know why he asked me to pass on that message to Will."

"Not here," Fitz hissed. "You cannot have this conversation here."

"But Will-"

"You cannot have this kind of conversation in a crowded bar. Anyone could be listening."

"We'll go back to the _Ilum_ ," Daisy said. "You try any funny business, I shoot you."

Fitz wrapped his arm around Jemma again, holding her close as they headed back. He definitely did not trust Triplett. Or maybe he didn't trust Rebels?

The way he hissed, he didn't trust anyone.

Jemma wondered what had happened, and if it had to do with why Fitz hadn't mentioned anything other than his father had been a pilot.

Daisy sat him down in the communal area of the _Ilum_ , keeping her blaster to hand.

"Okay, continue."

"Will's alive," Jemma said.

"Will is alive."

"And you thought because of how close he left to Alderaan being destroyed, he was a spy for the Empire."

"He mentioned you passing on a message from Phil Coulson. Only we don't know who Phil Coulson is."

"Was. He was still on Aldreaan when it was destroyed. He made sure I left."

"How did he know?"

"I don't know."

"There's no one he had contact with in the Empire?"

"No. Did Will tell you we arrived just as the Empire was coming to power?"

"Yes."

"My parents worked for the Senate. They weren't important or anything, they weren't senators or anything like that, they just worked for them. I guess you know quite a few people made it out?"

"Yes."

"Phil organised it. He was a friend of my mother's."

"Not Empire."

"Not even a little bit. Alderaan was the meeting point. The first few weeks a lot of people passed through. One of them could have given Phil or Mum the information, I don't know."

"You can trust her," Fitz said. "Leopold Fitz. Don't. Fitz is fine."

"Trip," Trip said, offering Fitz his hand. Fitz shook it. "Devaron?"

"Phil had a friend here," Jemma said. "He was planning on coming here. I think it's the last place Mum was."

"Need help looking?"

"Maybe. Fitz?"

"Captain?"

"I guess it's fine," Daisy said. "If you double cross us, I'll shoot you."

"I'd expect no less."

"Daisy Johnson."

"I think I've heard of you."

"Doubt it, we're just smugglers, and not well known ones."

"I'm sure I know the name Johnson."

"Nope. Not me. Common name. I thought we were looking for someone?"

"Her name's Melinda May," Jemma said. "If that helps."

* * *

Three days later and still no luck. Trip seemed nice enough. He seemed to know Fitz, or maybe know of Fitz, but neither of them explained that, so Jemma guessed it was one of those things to do with Fitz's father.

Daisy was certain they'd find May at the bar, and returned there each night. She may have got into a shooting competition with the owner's husband. Rumour had it he was the best shot in the galaxy, and Daisy returned smiling.

"I don't know about the best shot in the galaxy, but he's good. Trip, you should recruit him."

"And you?"

"Staying out of politics, we're here for Jemma."

Jemma considered it.

The Empire had destroyed Alderaan. They'd taken her first home, now they'd taken her new home, and killed Phil. Will might be alive, but who knew for much longer.

She owed it to Master May to explain what had happened to Phil. And maybe the Jedi knew something that might help with Daisy's headaches.

But the Empire had taken everything from her. Daisy and Fitz might want to stay out of it, but Jemma wasn't sure she did. Someone had to stop the Empire, and from the looks of things the Rebels needed all the help they could get.

She didn't tell Fitz. He seemed to have a problem with the Rebels.

Maybe Daisy could help though.

* * *

"So, we brought you all this way and you want to join the Rebels?"

"I don't really know what I want," Jemma shrugged. "Or, I didn't. But they destroyed my home."

Daisy nodded. She looked at Trip.

"I haven't said anything to her."

"This is my choice. I owe it to Melinda to tell her what happened to Phil, but I think I might go with Trip."

"Okay."

"Really?"

"It's your life." Daisy shrugged.

"I thought you weren't political."

"Fitz and I have our own reasons for staying out of it. And if you want, you can stick with us, or come find us, wait at Mack's, we usually show up after a while."

"Thank you."

"Take care of yourself, Jemma." Daisy hugged her.

"I will."

"We'll still help you find your Melinda."

"Thank you."

* * *

"Don't turn round," Daisy said.

"Why?"

Fitz covered Jemma's ears as Daisy replied.

"She means Ward."

"I meant what I said."

"Jemma does not need to hear that kind of language."

"Er, I have heard Jemma say that kind of language, so…"

"Well, well, well, I told you it wouldn't be long, Daisy. Picked up another one?"

"Fitz and I are amassing a crew. This is Trip. He's our new pilot. So Fitz can spend more time putting out the fires. What are you doing here? Following us?"

"I'm not interested in you, Daisy."

"Who do I need to thank?"

"Your friend here."

"Take one more step towards Jemma and I will shoot you." She pulled her blaster out her holster.

"Please, Daisy, we both know you won't shoot me."

"Er, excuse me, I am quite clearly holding a blaster here, I am fully capable of shooting-"

"What, no line about bad manners to shoot someone inside, Fitz?" Ward smirked and Jemma turned to face Fitz.

He had his hands raised, a blaster pressed to the back of his head. The woman holding it smiled at Ward.

"You're not going to shoot me, Daisy."

"So this is Kara. Clawdite bounty hunter, right?"

"Heard of me?"

"Ward over there wouldn't shut up about you after he met you, but sweetheart, you could do so much better."

"Daisy, will you please not do this again," Fitz said. Kara pressed the blaster into him and Fitz winced. Trip took Jemma's hand, and she pulled the flower out of her pocket, clutching it tightly.

"I suppose it is Ward," Daisy continued, ignoring Fitz. "You might struggle finding someone in the universe worse. I mean, you're an attractive, talented, young lady and he's, well, he's Ward."

"Do you have to do this every time we meet anyone?" Fitz asked. He seemed more exasperated than worried about the blaster. Jemma couldn't work out if that was a good thing or not. "This is why you're involved in a fight at least once a month."

"I guess you are a Clawdite, there might be some appeal there, you're both two faced."

Fitz groaned as Daisy smiled.

"Grant's told me all about you, Daisy Johnson, and your pet Gungan here."

"You are holding a blaster to my head, was that necessary?"

Daisy held up her blaster, aiming it at Kara. Trip stepped forward slightly, drawing his own.

"Excuse me?"

"Daisy, please, Daisy, it's not the first time I've been insulted, let it go."

"Get your girlfriend here to drop it," Daisy said, reaiming her blaster at Ward.

"You won't shoot me, Daisy."

"You're willing to bet on that?"

"You've had plenty of opportunities to before and never have."

"Yeah, but I wanted to see if this girlfriend of yours was actually real and if she had any taste. Apparently not."

"If you shoot me, Kara will shoot Fitz, and you would never risk your only friend."

"Excuse me, I count three friends here, plus Mack, that makes four."

"That's your comeback? You have four friends, not one?"

"Four more than you."

"Don't go anywhere, Daisy. Miss Simmons."

"Don't tell him anything, Jemma."

"How did you know to get off Alderaan?"

"I didn't, I joined Daisy and Fitz to see the galaxy."

"Fine. I suppose you'll just have to come with us and the Emperor can ask you himself."

"What does the Emperor want with Jemma?" Fitz asked.

"Haven't you heard? He wants a word with anyone who escaped Alderaan. Wants to know how they knew. Something about a traitor, leaking plans to the Rebels, and letting slip to Alderaan."

"And you seem so certain we were there," Jemma said.

"The last ship seen leaving the system was notable only in the fact it didn't look as if it should be flying. And as long as I've known Daisy, the only friend she's ever made is Fitz."

"And Mack," Daisy said. "Stop forgetting Mack."

"But here she is, a few weeks after Alderaan being destroyed with two, and one from Alderaan?"

"I'm not from Alderaan. I just lived there for a while."

"That's not a coincidence. One of you knows something."

"Yeah, obviously," Daisy said. "I know loads of things. For example, did you know, that if I do this, it will really hurt?"

She tossed Fitz her blaster. He didn't catch it, it clattered to the ground, and Daisy punched Ward in the face.

Several things happened.

First, Kara grabbed Fitz's arm.

Then, Trip shot Kara.

Fitz fell to the ground.

Ward drew his blaster.

Daisy reached in her pocket.

Trip pulled Jemma out the way

Ward shot at Daisy.

Daisy deflected it with a lightsaber.

The bar was completely silent.

Then, uproar.

"Down here."

Jemma helped Fitz up, him grabbing Daisy's blaster, as they hid behind the door. Daisy sheathed the lightsaber, tucking it back in her pocket. The owner shut the door, tucking them into a cellar.

"Thanks Laura," Daisy said. "Sorry."

"Don't you worry, dear, it's not like Clint hasn't brought trouble home with him before. You just stay there and I'll find Melinda."

"Wait, we could have just asked you?"

Laura had already left, and the four of them sat in the dark. Daisy drew the lightsaber again, smiling. At least she looked guilty.

"Surprise?"

The room glowed green from it. Jemma stared.

"Ilum."

"Our ship?"

"No, the planet. That's where lightsaber crystals come from, your headaches, you're a Jedi."

"Er, well, not exactly, I was going to be, then the Empire showed up and Master Windu never came back."

"You're the one Master May was talking about?"

"Wait, we're here looking for a Jedi? Why didn't you just say that?"

"I for one am very confused," Trip said. "Is this normal?"

"Well, Daisy getting into fights is," Fitz said. "And Daisy not shooting people. She's all talk."

"I am not, I am very capable of shooting someone, Leopold."

"Physically, sure, not morally."

"I have shot people before."

"But not fatally."

"Well, no. Not exactly."

"Why were you on Alderaan?" Jemma asked.

"I said I had a headache," Daisy said. "It's the easiest way to explain it. They're like someone else's feelings and sometimes it hurts, like when Alderaan was destroyed, I could hear so many people screaming I could barely breathe. I never learnt how to control it, I was too young, Master Windu just showed me how to listen for it."

"Too young?"

"I was four. Almost five. They take younglings at six. Took. Imagine if the Empire found out about me."

"Well," Fitz said. "You just pulled a lightsaber out in a crowed bar on Ward, I think they might be going to find out."

The four of them drifted to silence.

* * *

The door opened and a woman climbed down. She frowned at Jemma.

"Where's Phil?"

"He went back to see what was happening. I'm sorry."

"That man. I'm sorry too, Jemma."

"Is Mum here? Phil said you spoke to her."

"She didn't stay long. I thought she was coming to find you."

"Oh. She'll turn up."

"I'm sure she will. You."

"Me?" Daisy asked.

"You're the one they were talking about, aren't you?"

"That depends, what are they saying?"

"Show me."

Daisy sighed, handing over the lightsaber. May nodded, handing it back. Daisy looked shocked.

"You found it?"

"No, my mother gave it to me. My father gave me his jacket, my mother gave me a lightsaber. I don't know where she got it."

"You stole a ship named the _Ilum_ ," Jemma said. "I think you can probably guess."

"Maybe," Daisy shrugged. "Fitz, let's go home."

"You could be a Jedi," May said.

"You wanted to train once," Fitz said. "Daisy."

"Not now, Fitz."

"Okay."

"Jemma."

"Yes?"

"If you're going with him, you're going to need this." Daisy handed her her blaster. "Just don't shoot anyone indoors, it's bad manners. Or that's what Fitz says. It's mostly an excuse for the both of us."

"Daisy-"

"I have another one, and a lightsaber, it's not like it's an extravagant gift." She huffed and started climbing the ladder. She jumped off again, turning round. "Oh, er, Coulson never actually paid- Never mind, don't worry about it, we'll call it a favour for a friend. Come on, Fitz. Should have shot Ward."

"You're the one that threw your gun at me and punched him," Fitz said.

"It was incredibly satisfying."

"It was satisfying just to watch." Fitz hugged Jemma. He turned to Trip, offering his hand. "Take care of her, if she needs you to."

"Yes sir."

Fitz nodded, climbing the ladder after Daisy.

* * *

May lived out of town, in a secluded clearing. Jemma wasn't really surprised they hadn't found it, it was very out of the way. She sat Trip and Jemma down, and Jemma told her about Phil. How he'd helped everyone, how he'd taken care of her, and Will when his parents were busy. How they'd climbed the mountain once and looked up at the night sky feeling like they were among the stars, and how he'd found Daisy then left to go and find what the commotion was. May nodded for most of it.

They stayed silent for a long time after Jemma finished. Phil didn't talk much about life before the Empire, in case anyone heard he always said, but when he did say anything he usually mentioned her. They must have been close, a long time ago.

"So, you want to join the Rebels," May said after a while.

"I don't know. I think… I think it might be the right thing to do."

"Yes."

"What about you?"

"That entirely depends on what happens next."

* * *

Jemma pondered May's words as she settled down for the night. May had insisted they stay and rest for at least one night, and Trip had his ship he could fly them off in.

She didn't sleep particularly well. She kept thinking. Daisy was a Jedi. Kara had called Fitz a Gungan, which he obviously wasn't, and Trip seemed to know something about him. She pulled out the flower, looking at it. It was flat now, so she couldn't see the whole shape, but she remembered it. It wasn't a type of flower she'd seen before, but there were so many places she hadn't been.

But she couldn't shake the feeling that Fitz was hiding from her. He hadn't mentioned his first name until he met Trip, and Jemma hadn't even realised he had another name. She supposed that maybe she should have, most people had two names, but she hadn't actually thought about it. He stayed out of politics, Trip had heard of him, he had information that you wouldn't know unless you were involved, his father had been a pilot…

Gungan. Fitz was from Naboo.

Naboo was right at the heart of the Empire, the Emperor himself was from Naboo, and the way Fitz spoke about it, he couldn't go home.

Had Fitz run away from the Empire?

Mack would know. Trip might know too. And from the sounds of it Ward knew, and he'd told Kara, it was only her Fitz didn't trust.

She looked down at the flower. Maybe it wasn't about trust. Trip knew, and Fitz had never met him. Maybe he hid out of shame.

Or maybe he thought he had a chance with Jemma, a friendship without the knowledge of where he'd been.

It seemed sad, thinking about it like that. She'd ask him next time she saw him.

If she ever saw him again.

No, she'd see him. As soon as she was done with the Rebels, she'd find Fitz again. Maybe Daisy would have second thoughts about training, maybe…

Maybe Jemma had no idea what was going to happen and that was simultaneously the most exciting and most terrifying thing she could think of. It was a war. She might not be able to find Fitz after the Rebels, there might not be an after the Rebels.

What was she doing?

Jemma slipped the flower back into her jacket pocket before she lost it. Fitz's jacket. It still smelt of him. Or maybe just of the _Ilum_.

Alderaan was gone. There was no going home for Jemma. And Trip said they destroyed the thing that destroyed Alderaan. So Naboo was still there, which meant if the Empire were gone, Fitz could go home. So even if she couldn't find him again, he'd be able to go back and find his mother at least.

Jemma settled down. No going back now.

She'd made up her mind.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

-:-

Trip's ship wasn't anything like the _Ilum,_ it was more or less designed for one person, for stealth. Not for sneaking around bits of scrap metal.

"It's going to be a bit of a squeeze," Trip said. "But I'm sure-"

"The two of you are under arrest."

Jemma turned, raising her hands. Three Stormtroopers. Trip shook his head. One stepped forward, reaching up to Jemma's arms when a blast came out of the woods.

"What was that?"

Another blast, this time missing everyone and hitting Trip's ship.

"For goodness sake, give it here."

"No, it's my blaster, get your own."

"You have a lightsaber, give me the blaster."

Trip drew his own blaster in the seconds the Stormtroopers were distracted, shooting one. He turned to the other and the third raised their own, pointing it at Trip and…

And they were falling on the floor, Jemma holding the blaster Daisy had given her in both her hands.

"Oh my gosh. I didn't mean to do that."

The last Stormtrooper fell and Daisy and Fitz emerged from the trees. Daisy nodded, looking down at them.

"Hi. Nice shot."

"It was an accident."

"Probably a good one," Trip said. "We need to get out of here."

"That's your ship?" Daisy said. "You can hardly fit two people in it, take the _Ilum_."

"What?"

"We talked about it," Fitz said. "Daisy's going to take May up on her offer. So we're staying."

"I have another suggestion," May said. Jemma jumped.

"How long have you-"

"I go with you, we train on Trip's base."

"It's not my base."

"I am not joining the Rebels," Fitz huffed.

"It'll be fine," Daisy said. Fitz looked at her. "Fine, I'll go with those two, you stay with Mack."

"Don't be ridiculous, you'll get yourself killed without me."

"You say that like I haven't saved your life at least six times."

"You say that like you weren't the reason my life was in danger at least five times."

Jemma laughed, and Fitz smiled. He looked at her. He was sad, Jemma realised. His eyes were sad, despite the smile on his face. She gave him a small smile, and Fitz sighed.

"All right, fine, I'll go with you."

"Ship's this way," Daisy said. "You already knew that."

* * *

"Hey," Jemma said. Fitz was sitting in his little cubby hole, stroking the leaves of one of his plants. The one Jemma's flower was from.

He smiled, moving over a little so she could sit. Daisy and Trip were piloting, mostly Trip, since May was explaining the Force to Daisy and Trip was the only one who actually knew where he was going. They'd left his ship with Laura, and Trip was going to ask his cousin to go and find in.

Neither of them said anything for a while, just sat.

"What did the Rebels do to your father?"

"Hmm?"

"It's just, you were sad. Not angry. You huffed, like you didn't want to be here, but you were sad. You don't use your first name. Kara called you a Gungan, and you can't go home."

"I can go home."

"You don't talk about it and you grow plants in space as if they're all you've got left." And he gave part of that to her. Her fingers brushed the flower in her pocket. It was all he had left, and he gave part of it to her.

Fitz didn't say anything for a while.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't-"

"I'm named after my father."

"Your father?"

"He was Leonard, not Leopold, but Mum chose it because it starts with Leo too. They both mean brave. Or that's what Mum said. Her brave Leos."

"And you stopped using it after you left."

"I didn't just leave. I ran away. I didn't deserve to share his name after that, nor to be called brave."

"Where abouts on Naboo are you from?"

"It wasn't big, or important, just a small port. Not too far from Theed. That's the human capital, the Gungans have a different one. I don't know if it's still there."

"There's an Imperial base there, isn't there? And a lot of sympathy for the Empire."

"The Emperor is Naboo."

"He…"

"He was born on Naboo, he's Naboo, like me."

"I know."

"You don't advertise you're from Naboo, Jemma, you get labelled as an Imperial Spy or a traitor, depends who you're talking to."

"You were sad about joining the Rebels. I thought maybe, you said he was a pilot, and Naboo, I assumed I guess. But that's not right, is it. The Rebels didn't kill your father, your father was a Rebel."

"Padmé Amidala."

"I know the name."

"She was our Senator. Before that our Queen. Naboo elects the monarch, once her reign ended the next queen offered her the position as Senator. This was against everything she stood for. There were quite a few people who planned to fight in her name. And Dad was a pilot."

"Oh, Fitz."

"It's Naboo. I couldn't join the Empire, Dad disappeared, probably killed by the Empire, he fought against them, but if I joined the Rebels Mum would end up not knowing what happened to me either. Hitched a lift on a merchant ship, switched a few times, ended up on Concord Dawn."

"My mother came a little while after we settled on Alderaan. A few months maybe. She'd managed to get a job on a merchant ship. Phil said he could raise me on Alderaan while she worked. She visited when she could. She saw May the other week. And she came and found us, it was supposed to be the three of us, but I don't know where she is, and Phil went to see what was happening, and…"

"I'm sorry, Jemma."

"So am I."

"It was a long time ago. Yours wasn't."

"Maybe."

They drifted into silence again and Jemma rested her head on Fitz's shoulder.

* * *

"You two have been a while," Daisy said when Jemma and Fitz finally made their way the communal area. Fitz nodded, sitting down next to her.

"We were just talking," Fitz said. He gave Jemma a small smile. "I thought maybe I should bring one of the plants in here, brighten the place up, what do you think?"

"She's hardly suitable for Rebel missions, guess we'll just be living in you, dear. Might as well."

"We can fix her up."

Trip ran through the plan. The base was on Rishi Moon, mostly rock, there was an old Republic Outpost there. Right in the Outer Rim, actually not too far from Tatooine. Which explained why Trip had been the one who found them. Once they got there, Daisy could start training, and they could wait for orders. Maybe teach Jemma how to actually use a blaster.

Fitz found an empty container and seemed to have filled it with soil and a small part of a plant while they were talking. He stroked its leaves absently.

He seemed happier. His eyes weren't so sad.

"How many people there?" Fitz asked.

"Four to six, it depends. Four probably. Including me."

"It's not a large base."

"No. I'm not even sure the Empire knows about us."

"Good."

"Hey, Fitz, watch this," Daisy said. She concentrated, holding out a hand. His plant lifted off the table. Daisy lifted it higher, then put it down gently. Trip clapped. "Jedi tricks."

"Nicely done," May said.

"I can have us there in a few hours," Trip said. "If your hyperdrive works."

"I would avoid it," Fitz said. "Just in case."

* * *

In the end- with on and off bursts of lightspeed- they made in in a couple of days.

The fact they were cheering when nothing caught fire was probably a bad sign in itself. Jemma couldn't bring herself to mind though. They touched down on Rishi Moon and she pulled on Fitz's jacket, slid Daisy's blaster into the holster, and stepped out the ship.

It was dark, rocky, and Jemma could see stars she'd never seen before. Or, more likely, she'd seen before but not at this angle.

"Anyone in?" Trip called. A man stuck his head through the door.

"Took your time."

"Lance Hunter, Jemma Simmons, Leo Fitz, Daisy Johnson, and Melinda May." Trip gestured at each of them as he said their name. Daisy waved. "Hunter is… Hunter, I don't know what he's doing here."

"He followed me home." The door slid fully open and a woman stepped through. "Bobbi Morse. I'm a pilot."

"Anyone else in?" Trip asked.

"Yeah, Nick's still waiting for your information, they're in the med bay."

Trip lead them through the base, passing rooms with bunks and various other things. Daisy looked with interest at one.

"That's left over from the old Republic," Trip said. "Some kind of receiver for something."

The med bay was at the end, and was probably the biggest room there was.

"Here we are," Trip said. "Hi. This is Jemma Simmons, she's from Alderaan. And her friends, Leopold Fitz, Daisy Johnson, and Melinda May. This is Andrew Garner, our medical expert, Maria Hill, and Commander Nick Fury."

"Master Windu?" Daisy asked.

"Who?" Commander Fury asked.

"Someone I met a long time ago, you look just like him."

Daisy frowned at him, as if trying to work out whether or not he was having her on.

"Alderaan," Fury said. "Sorry about your loss."

"Thank you. You wanted to know how Phil knew to leave?"

"I told them," May said. "No Empire connections." She drew her own lightsaber out of the folds in her cloak, levitating the hilt in the air. "Just Force."

"A Jedi," Hill said. "I thought you were just stories."

"Master Windu was a Jedi," Daisy said. "He told me I had the Force years ago before he died."

"The Skywalker boy's one," Fury said.

"Skywalker?" May asked.

"The Death Star was destroyed. Only two of our pilots made it out, a Wedge Antillies and a young Luke Skywalker from Tatooine. I don't think he'd ever been in an X-Wing before."

"You all right?" Fitz asked.

"Yes," May said. "Skywalker. I haven't heard that name for a very long time."

"Is that bad?" Daisy asked.

"That depends on the young lad. I knew an Anakin Skywalker once. Before all this."

"Maybe they're related."

"I'll show you round," Trip said.

* * *

Fury and Hill didn't stay at the base much, they went between there and the other Rebel bases. Daisy was training with May (and spending a lot of time with Trip when she wasn't training, while May spent most of it with Andrew), and Bobbi and Hunter had various things they did. Trip went on flights with Bobbi quite a lot. His cousin Sharon hadn't stuck around after dropping off his ship, just rolled her eyes, but she seemed nice.

Which left Jemma with Fitz.

She didn't mind. He tinkered, mostly, fixing things, taking different things apart so he could see how they worked, then putting them back together again. Jemma helped. They started with the hyperdrive, then moved to the rest of the ship.

And he smiled a lot too. Far more than before. She told him about Coruscant, and he told her about growing up helping fix his father's ship. He was just the pilot though, Fitz said, it was his mother who could fix anything. And she'd taught him. After his father had disappeared he'd helped her in the port.

He hadn't met her mother, or at least not to his knowledge. She laughed; if she'd gone with her mother and they'd stopped by Naboo, maybe the two of them could have met years ago.

It was a joke, or Jemma intended it to be, but she did wonder. Things would have gone so differently though. Maybe they would have joined the Rebels and been there to stop Alderaan being destroyed. But maybe they wouldn't have met Daisy. Maybe they would only have been in each other's lives for a few hours, just passing glimpses. She didn't know, and try as she might, she couldn't imagine going forward from this point without Fitz. And Daisy. She'd only known him- them- for a few weeks, two months at best, but here she was, at a point where being without them was unthinkable.

It was because Alderaan was Alder-gone, and Fitz and Daisy she'd seen every day since. Phil was gone, who knew where her parents were, probably thought she was on Alderaan, but they were there. That was all. She just didn't have anyone else.

Will was out there, somewhere. She'd see Will again. That would be nice. He and Fitz might get along.

It was quiet, for the first few months. But they had joined a rebellion, and there was a war on.

It couldn't stay quiet forever.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

-:-

"Duck, Jemma!"

Jemma dodged the blast, sliding into Daisy's side. She grabbed her blaster and shot at a Stormtrooper.

"You used that properly yet?"

"You're as bad as Fitz, Simmons, you know that?"

"That's a bad thing?"

"Depends, will you get that look on your face if I tell you my plan?"

"What look?"

"Come on, Jemma, it's been three years, you know exactly what look."

Jemma smiled, and Daisy aimed her blaster over Jemma's shoulder, hitting a Stormtrooper. Jemma aimed her own blaster, taking out another.

An X-Wing shot over them, Bobbi's by the looks of it.

Three years. Jemma shook her head a little. Three years. It didn't seem that long. But a lot had happened. Trip had taught her to shoot. May said Daisy had come a long way in her training, she seemed much more Force based than lightsaber. They'd been to Tatooine several times to see Mack (Daisy was still working on getting him to leave and join them). Bobbi was working on X-Wing training, and Jemma was constantly being told to stop fiddling with the droids (she could hear Phil's voice in the back of her mind. "Some things never change"). Andrew had adopted her to learn about medicine it seemed. Hunter was like an older brother, or possibly younger, Jemma couldn't quite tell. He joked around, but he talked about Alderaan with her, and helped her get used to it being gone.

And then there was Fitz. They fixed a lot of ships together. Spent most of their time together, thinking about it. He was nice. A lot more open than he had been at first.

She still had his jacket. With the flower pressed in the pocket. She'd slipped it into her other pocket when Daisy threw the clothes she'd need at her the day they'd left for Hoth. It was cold, everything was frozen, and her feet were getting cold and a little wet even through her boots.

But Daisy had a plan.

"No," Jemma said.

"Oh, come on, it'll be fun."

"Until we get shot by one of our friends because they thought we were Stormtroopers. Do you even know how to use an AT-ST?"

"Stormtroopers can do it, how hard can it be? There, look, see, exactly the same look Fitz gets, the two of you must be soulmates."

"Do you think he's all right?"

"He's inside, in the warm, fixing ships with Trip, even Fitz can't get in to trouble doing that."

"You can though."

"Are we doing this or not?"

"No."

"Fine."

Daisy drew her lightsaber and smiled. Jemma sighed.

Apparently they were trying it.

* * *

Daisy Johnson had grown up on Concord Dawn, surrounded by Mandalorians, various bounty hunters, and her parents hadn't exactly been model citizens. In their defence, they had lessened the bounty hunting by a considerable amount after she'd been born. And after the Jedi had been killed they'd mostly stuck to Concord Dawn, not drawing any attention to themselves, to protect her. But old habits die hard and Daisy was well aware her parents were good at what they did. If they did go out Daisy usually went with them, so they could keep an eye on her.

In short, she'd seen a lot of fights.

Nothing quite like this though.

Half the time they couldn't go outside because the snow was too thick to see, then it was too cold, Daisy wouldn't have minded if they let the Empire keep this one. Like ten people lived here, and the only reason the Empire had even bothered was because they'd set up a base. Admittedly, it was in a little cluster, Bespin, Ione, some other planets. And it was on the Corellian Trade Spine, so maybe it had some benefits there. But still, everyone could have come to their base, it was much more comfortable. Warmer, at least.

Maybe not. The Empire seemed to have a lot of AT-STs and AT-ATs. And they had…

Well, hopefully, one.

Daisy jumped, climbing to the top of the AT-ST, and opening the hatch. Jemma stared from the ground, shooting the approaching Stormtroopers and various droids and whatever else was coming that Daisy wasn't paying attention to.

"Hello," she said, drawing her lightsaber as the Stormtrooper inside reached for their blaster. "Do you mind if I borrow this?"

* * *

"This is a terrible idea," Jemma said.

"Just, er, what do you call it?"

Jemma shrugged, staring at the controls. Right. They could figure this out. She pulled something and the blaster fired.

"Sorry!" Jemma yelled as a few Rebels jumped out the way of the falling rocks. "Not that one."

"Yes that one," Daisy said. "Here."

She twisted it and the top moved, lining up with another AT-ST a few metres away. She pulled it.

They both stared at what remained of the other one.

A blast hit them from behind, jolting them forwards.

"Rebel or Empire?" Jemma asked.

"Rebel. I have an idea."

* * *

Andrew did not look impressed. Daisy looked rather sheepish.

Bobbi and Hunter were back, and Trip and Fitz had dropped their tools for a few minutes to make sure they were all right. The base was shut down for the night, even the Empire wouldn't attack when it was this cold, it would just freeze their droids.

Melinda rolled her eyes when she saw the two of them.

"What on Corellia is going on here?" Trip asked.

"Well," Jemma said, "Daisy had an idea."

"That's usually a bad start," Fitz said. Daisy swatted his arm, and settling back down after the glare from Andrew.

"It was a fantastic idea," Daisy said. "Maybe not well thought out, but it was an amazing idea. We stole an AT-ST, and we blew stuff up. Jemma mostly, she was in the pilot's seat? Not pilot, it doesn't fly, Trip, what do you call it?"

"You stole an AT-ST?"

"Yes," Jemma said. "Daisy mostly. Only, we were getting shot at by both sides, so Daisy went to stand on it to deflect the blasts with her lightsaber and so they'd know we're with the Rebels. And she got shot."

"One of the blasts barely skimmed me."

"I think that counts," Bobbi said.

"Worth it." Hunter grinned. "Next time-"

"You think there's going to be a next time?"

"Er… No?"

"No, it wasn't a good idea," Daisy said.

"You've had worse," Fitz said. "Remember that time you-"

"I'm going to ignore the rest of what you're about to say and just thank you for the maybe compliment. You've caused just as much trouble as me, you're the one that started that fight that means we can't go back to Jakku."

"I never liked it anyway."

"I am so glad we picked you two up," Trip said.

"So we can help you with our amazing ideas?" Daisy asked.

"So the two of you have adult supervision."

"You love us really."

"How are the two of you still in one piece?"

"Mack," Fitz and Daisy said.

"Better question, how is the galaxy still in one piece with you two running around causing chaos?" Trip shook his head fondly as the two of them shrugged.

"Probably still Mack," Daisy said.

"We did join the Rebels," Bobbi said. "And the Empire says it's all about order. Maybe a little chaos is just what we need. And it's not like Hunter has a track record much better than that."

* * *

Fitz knocked, walking in and sitting next to Jemma. She smiled at him.

"You're wearing the dress you wore the day we met." The day Alderaan was destroyed was left unsaid. Jemma was fine. It still seemed strange, but she'd had time. "I just wanted to make sure you were all right."

"Were you worried about me?"

"Yes. And Daisy too. Bobbi, Hunter, everyone, it was a really big battle and there were a lot of them and… Yes, I was worried about you."

"I was a little worried about you too."

"You're the one that was out there fighting." Fitz paused, his hand a little raised, and then he patted her knee. "I'm glad you're okay, Simmons."

"I'm glad you're okay too. But I think I'm going to need the whole Jakku story."

"I got in a fight, Daisy got involved, we got told not to come back, that's pretty much it."

"You got banned from a planet."

"It's not like they have any bars. We ran into Raina. Old friend of Daisy's. There was a slight disagreement in how many credits we should be giving someone for a pile of junk, and it ended in a fight. It's only one planet, Hunter has like six on his list."

Jemma smiled. Fitz shuffled in his seat, opening his mouth like he was going to say something, then changed his mind. He nodded.

"I'm glad you're okay, Jemma."

"I'm glad you're okay too."

"Erm… I need to… Would you…"

"Yes?"

"Would you like to help fix the _Mockingbird_? Bobbi asked if I could check her over before we head back."

"I'd love to."

* * *

"Home sweet home," Trip said. It was dark, but Jemma could see their base.

Daisy dramatically dropped to the floor.

"Ground not covered in snow, I have missed you."

Bobbi rolled her eyes, stepping out her X-Wing.

There were two X-Wings, Bobbi and Trip's. While Trip's was just known as Blue Three, Bobbi's had affectionately been dubbed the _Mockingbird._ She was Bobbi's pride and joy, and there was a strict "Hunter don't touch" rule. Bobbi was very fond of reminding him he'd once flown into an asteroid.

"I was at lightspeed, I couldn't see it," Hunter always protested, and Daisy always laughed, and then they cycled back round to everyone was allowed to fly, except Hunter, unless the galaxy was ending or everyone else was rendered incapable simultaneously for some unknown reason.

And then there was the _Ilum._ Fitz had worked on her for months. Jemma had helped. They'd fixed the hyperdrive, added a weapons system, added more bunks. They'd ended up doubling up, with Hunter and Bobbi in what had been Jemma's room for those few weeks, May and Andrew in the room originally used as a store room, Trip moving in with Fitz, and Jemma moving in with Daisy. If they had anyone else Jemma didn't know where they'd go, but there was room for the eight of them.

That was why they used her as their main transport. Supply runs, it was all done with the _Ilum,_ unless they could get away with just sending either Trip or Bobbi. It had been the _Ilum_ that got them all to Hoth (except Bobbi, who had pilot duties), and she'd earnt the nickname "the Bus".

Jemma called her home.

They all had rooms in the base. Didn't stop them (mostly Daisy and Fitz, but sometimes Jemma too) sleeping in the _Ilum_ some nights.

Three years.

They visited Mack a lot. Fitz and Daisy insisted on it, even if they didn't have anything for him that often any more. Mack didn't mind. He was usually just glad to see them okay.

"Are you going to visit Mack soon?" Jemma asked. "He'll want to hear about Hoth."

"Probably," Fitz said. "It's the closest we've got to a day off."

"We wouldn't have anywhere to go on one anyway. Nor when we're finished with the Rebels."

"I hadn't really thought about it," Fitz said.

"I can't take you to see Alderaan, and you can't go home either. I suppose we'll both have to go to Concord Dawn then."

"I don't think that's such a good idea either."

"Is there anywhere we can go?"

"Tatooine? We can stay with Mack."

"You didn't have a particularly high opinion of it before."

"Does anyone? It's Tatooine. We could stay on the _Ilum_ and go everywhere."

"Not much of a day off." Jemma smiled and Fitz laughed.

"No, I suppose it wouldn't be, would it?"

"She'd make a good home though, that ship. She does make a good home."

"We'll find one. Together. Partners, Simmons?"

"I thought Daisy was your partner, Fitz."

"In crime, maybe, we're not in crime any more. Not in mechanics though. When this is all over we could really be travelling mechanics."

"Maybe. Simmons-Fitz. It's got a nice ring to it."

"Not as good as FitzSimmons."

"No, I think Simmons-Fitz."

"Oh really? Why don't we go ask Daisy for a second opinion?"

"She'll side with me."

"No she won't."

"We'll have to go and see then, won't we?"

The two of them raced off to find her.

* * *

Dinner was usually loud. Jemma loved it. Everyone happy, chattering away, back together at last. They hadn't had the chance to sit together much while on Hoth. Fitz and Trip had things to fix after the battles, and Andrew was down in the medical bay. Daisy and May took the opportunity to do a little training on the _Ilum,_ and Bobbi and Hunter did whatever it was they did. Jemma usually ended up helping Fitz and Trip. Even if they had all gone to eat together, there were so many other people there they couldn't have done anything like this.

And Fitz had been trying to keep Daisy away from Han Solo. Apparently he'd seen the _Millennium Falcon_ and she'd rolled up her sleeves. The never had explained exactly what happened, Fitz had muttered something unintelligible and taken her back to their ship.

Daisy drew her blaster as the door opened.

"C'mon girl, really?"

"You could have been Imperial Forces," Daisy shrugged, lowering it. "Who's your friend?"

"Hi."

"Will?"

"Jemma. Jemma, you made it, you're alive."

"So are you." Jemma hugged him. Daisy dropped her blaster behind her and Fitz dropped his eyes. Daisy nudged him. Jemma would talk to him later. "How?"

"I took Phil's advice, I signed up to learn to fly for the Rebels. Just in time too, we received word as we landed. What happened to you?"

"Phil found Daisy just in time. It blew the hyperdrive, but the three of us made it. Phil… Phil went to see what the commotion was. Maybe to try and help people."

"I'm so sorry, Jemma." Will hugged her. "I hoped that maybe that message meant the two of you were safe, that's why I asked Trip to keep an eye open, but I didn't think…"

"I'm sorry too, Will."

"I looked. There's Alderaan refugees across the galaxy. Not anyone I was looking for though. Keren was the last place to look."

"No, you can't," Fitz said. "You can't go there."

"Yep, that's a bad idea," Daisy said. "Hi. You must be Will Daniels, I'm Daisy Johnson, this is my co-pilot and engineer, Leopold Fitz, we're the ones Coulson left in charge of Jemma, and in the interests of her well-being, she is not leaving our sight, especially not to fly off to Keren with you."

"Keren?" Jemma asked.

"It's a city on Naboo," Fitz said. "You can't, the _Ilum_ is too recognisable, it's like Han Solo taking the _Falcon_ there."

"You two really like that ship, don't you. You said they were on Naboo, Will?"

"Princess Leia came to get everyone just before Hoth. I think most went to Jakku, I don't know about your parents. I think I saw them."

"I guess that's it then," Daisy said. "No meeting Mrs Simmons for us. Oops. Sorry, Jemma."

"They're banned from Jakku," Jemma said. "It's a long story, apparently. As is why they're so fond of the _Millennium Falcon._ "

"We might have tried to steal it once," Daisy said.

"No, you tried to steal it, I had a job," Fitz said. "You lost me my job and I ended up stuck with you running for my life because someone let slip I was from Naboo and everyone assumed I was an Imperial Spy."

"You shouldn't have told me in the middle of a crowed bar then. Besides, you love being stuck with me, it's way better than still working for Solo."

"Maybe I liked my job. I fixed things and I didn't have to get shot at or shoot people."

"Yeah, but you still like me more."

"They're odd," Will said.

"Yep," Jemma said. "But they're nice. This is Bobbi Morse, Lance Hunter, Andrew Garner, Melinda May, and you know Trip."

"Pleasure," Bobbi said, shaking Will's hand. "Jemma's told us a lot about you."

"She's great, isn't she? I can't believe you joined the Rebels."

"Aldreaan was my home too, and we talked about it when we were kids."

"We talked about a lot of things when we were kids. But all this time you've been with the Rebels. I missed you, Jemma."

"I've missed you too, Will. I thought you'd all…"

"Yeah. I thought I had too. I was even ready to give up on you. It's been a long time."

"You're both alive," Hunter said. "Is that why you're here?"

"No," Will said. "Actually I came to ask if any of you are available for a recon mission. The Empire are building something near Endor."

"Bob? You and Trip have the X-Wings."

"Sure, we can help," Trip said. "Or Daisy can fly my X-Wing, but I think you were talking about going to see Mack."

"Yeah. Fitz, you coming?"

"Always. Jemma? We could probably land on Jakku and hope no one remembers us."

"I'll come and see Mack."

"Someone should probably stay and keep an eye on Hunter," May said. He opened his mouth to protest, but Bobbi shrugged and agreed before he could.

"We'll meet again in a few days probably," she said.

"See," Fitz said. "No such thing as a day off."

* * *

Just the three of them in the _Ilum_ , it somehow felt like old times. Except she wasn't alone. It was still sinking in. Her mother was still out there, and her father. Will had been looking for her, she'd seen him, he was alive. There were other people who'd escaped Alderaan too. It felt like a dream.

Alderaan was still gone. So many people. Friends, neighbours, they were all still gone. Phil, Will's parents, so many people. But there were people that had made it too

Seeing them though, her mother… What would she say? Would she be proud of her for joining the Rebels? Would she have to leave her friends? Fitz? Daisy? What if… What if it had been so long they didn't really know each other anymore? Will had been fighting, Jemma had been fighting in a _war_. She'd _shot_ people. Stormtroopers, but still people. Did Stormtroopers have families? No, of course not, the Empire would never allow it. But then how did they get more Stormtroopers? Why had the Empire succeeded in coming to power, it was the Republic, it was…

"Jemma?" Fitz asked. "You okay?"

"Fine. I'm fine."

"You don't look it."

"It's a lot to take in."

"Yeah. Don't know what I'd do if someone told me my dad was still alive."

"You said you didn't know what happened to him."

"Yeah. Except it's been twenty years. He's not coming back. I have known that for a long time. The Empire came to Mum once. Years ago. I was eight? Asked her questions about the Rebels. She didn't know anything. But I think that's the day we knew. No one ever said. But we knew."

"Oh, Fitz."

"We are not a fast ship, and our hyperdrive broke. If others took off at lightspeed they'd be much faster. And Ward said we weren't the only one, we were just the one he knew. It must have been a couple of minutes before it actually hit."

"If it's about joining the Rebels, don't worry," Daisy said. "My parents are going to kill me if they find out."

"When they find out," Fitz said. "If they don't already know."

"Fitz said you spent your childhood hiding from Imperials," Jemma said. "You've never really said what happened."

"My mother's name is Jiaying, and my father's name is Cal. They were bounty hunters. Good ones. It's how they met, hunting for the same bounty. Then they had me and started pulling back. Mum moved back to Concord Dawn to look after me, Dad went with her, and they started dialling down the bounty hunting. Sometimes they'd still go out. And then Mace Windu showed up and said I was Force Sensitive. He was going to come back when I was a bit older, my parents probably would have gone back to bounty hunting, but he didn't. Instead the Emperor killed the Jedi and my parents stopped completely to keep me hidden. The advantage of having parents who spent their life looking for people who don't want to be found is that they knew all the tricks for not being found. The _Ilum_ was an old ship. Mum found the lightsaber. I think maybe Master Windu left it there for me? I don't know, it could be that it was an old Jedi ship. I don't know who owned her, she was just abandoned, I think. Anyway, Mum taught me how to fight. She might not have been a Jedi, but she knew that. Taught me to shoot too."

"You said they gave you the lightsaber and your dad gave you his jacket when you left."

"Sort of. Actually I'd had Dad's jacket for years, and the lightsaber, and I didn't so much leave as run away. I'd left Concord Dawn. My parents did sometimes have jobs when I was a little older, and I went with them so they could keep an eye on me. But the galaxy was so big and I wanted to see it. I wanted to find a Jedi so I could learn, I wanted to understand the Force, and I couldn't do that if I couldn't leave home. But it wasn't exactly a secret on Concord Dawn, who my parents were, and no one would give me a lift. The _Ilum_ hadn't flown for years, and I didn't know how to get it working again. So I waited for a ship I hadn't seen before and went to stow away. Only this kid found me."

"Kid," Fitz muttered. "I'm a year older than you."

"Only Fitz found me. Said he couldn't offer me a job, but maybe he could put a good word in. We went to a bar, or just outside one, and got talking. Unfortunately, someone overheard Fitz say he was from Naboo. It was my fault, probably. We ran back to the ship because people were already muttering about him being a spy which is why he'd latched onto me, what with who my parents were and a few knew Master Windu had spoken to me all those years ago, so we went back to his ship before anyone decided to take matters into their own hands. Word had already got out and the owner of the ship said he wasn't going to risk getting on the bad side of any Mandalorians if they suspected Fitz of being a spy."

"Han Solo," Jemma said.

"It's not a bad decision," Fitz said. "They're Mandalorians, there's a lot of them who have reputations. Daisy's parents included. And it's not like he just flew off, he let me collect my things and wished me good luck. I fixed his ship for him, it's how I got on board in the first place. And it was never supposed to be a permanent job. I didn't really know what I was doing, I just didn't want to be surrounded by the Empire any more. I wanted to find out what happened to Dad. But instead I got stranded on Concord Dawn because there was no way I'd find another ship before someone decided to act on their hunch I was Imperial forces."

"So I took him to the _Ilum_ ," Daisy said. "And Fitz got her working. Mostly. We took off, we crashed when we tried to engage the hyperdrive, we took off again, and we never looked back. I told Fitz about being Force Sensitive and we went looking for a Jedi. Picked up loads of scrap parts to try and fix our ship. We landed on Tatooine once to trade some of the ones that hadn't worked for some that might, and that's how we met Mack. We promised we'd come back with more and he'd save any bits he thought might help for us. So we ended up smuggling parts of ships and broken droids, anything we could find, keeping an ear to the ground for any Jedi rumours, and four years later we landed on Alderaan and ran into you."

"Only four years? You've been with the Rebels almost that long," Jemma said.

"I guess so," Daisy said. "I met Ward before, he got involved with this other bounty hunter, Garrett, haven't heard from him for years actually. That's a good thing. We kind of got talking while my parents and his whatever Garrett was went on the same bounty. I don't really know what happened. We ran into each other a few times when Fitz and I started travelling together. I think he had a crush on me."

"He seemed okay at first," Fitz said. "But then he tried to get Daisy involved with some illegal thing, more illegal than smuggling old stuff no one wanted anyway, and we decided to avoid him as much as possible. Raina's another smuggler we met once. She's a bit weird too, but not like Ward is, she's okay. As long as her and Daisy aren't causing trouble together anyway."

"There," Daisy said. "You finally know the whole thing. Not quite as glamorous as it seemed."

"You saw the galaxy though. Found a Jedi. You did everything you wanted to do. Except find out what happened to Fitz's father."

"It's okay," Fitz said. "We met you, the plan changed. Probably one of the best things that came of it. I mean, it's better than drifting without a plan, you gave us a plan. And you're our friend, one of our best friends, I meant that."

He started twiddling his fingers and Daisy pulled out of lightspeed. It might have taken Fitz and Jemma three years, but it was working. Fitz had said she must have been the missing part all along. He'd started talking about because she was clever after that before trailing off, just like he'd just done saying she was a friend.

Strange. Fitz seemed to do that quite a lot, say something then double back, but it didn't sound like a mistake. Usually it was a compliment. Jemma shrugged. A question for another day.

"This is not Tatooine," Fitz said. "Daisy, did you forget something on Hoth?"

"No. This is Bespin anyway."

"Why are we hovering above Bespin?"

"I don't know. It just felt like there was something here that was important."

"Lando Calrissian?"

"Nah, never met him. Down, I think."

Daisy took the ship to just under Cloud City. She flipped it upside down and left it hovering as she left her seat.

"Daisy!" Fitz said. "What are you doing?"

Daisy reappeared holding something. She flipped the ship back up.

"We need a hatch in the top."

"What was that about?"

"Lightsaber." She offered it to Fitz. "I think it's Luke Skywalker's."

"What?"

"I heard someone screaming. I think maybe it was him. Reckon there's Imperials here."

"Do we need to stick around?"

"Nah, he's calling for Princess Leia. Look, there, the _Falcon_ , it's fine. Tatooine, right?"

"Tatooine." Fitz nodded. "You realise we went past it."

"Yeah. I'll turn us around."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

-:-

Tatooine felt warmer than usual, but maybe that was just because they'd spent a few months in Hoth's snow. Jemma discarded her (Fitz's) jacket in her bunk, electing to just wear the shirt and trousers. The other two were waiting for her, all set to walk to Mack's shop. She smiled as she disembarked and Fitz blushed a little.

If Jemma did leave to find her parents she'd have to ask Fitz to come. Going without him would just be strange. They were FitzSimmons (and Daisy) now. (So, maybe he had been right, that did sound better). They were a team. The others too. Bobbi, Hunter, Trip, May, Andrew, they were like a family now. But Fitz especially was…

Well, he was Fitz.

He was her best friend. That must be it. But Daisy was her best friend, Fitz was something else. She couldn't quite put a finger on it.

Another problem for another time, Jemma decided. Putting things off almost never worked, but it would do for now.

They would probably spend a couple of days with Mack. Fitz would find more interesting things to build with, and Daisy would run into someone she knew, and all in the galaxy would be well for just a handful of days. Then Jemma would go to Jakku and see her mother, maybe her father, and introduce Fitz. They'd love him. Daisy too. Daisy possibly less so if she stuck her foot in it and said she couldn't stick around because she was technically not supposed to be there, but they'd love her all the same. Jemma hoped they would anyway.

Or they would have spent a few days with Mack if there weren't Stormtroopers clearing his stuff out.

"You there!" one of them said. Fitz raised his hands before Daisy did anything rash. "What are you doing here?"

"She's my wife," a man said, pulling Daisy close. "It's fine. Skye, there you are, I thought you'd gotten lost."

"Just ran into some old friends," Daisy said. Mack gave her a quick nod. "This is Phil and Antoinette. Moisture farmers."

"We'll just be heading off, we had no idea this was contraband. Again, I'm so sorry."

"What's going on?" Jemma asked.

"Come on, dearest, I'm sure it's none of our business," Fitz said. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. It tingled slightly, but in a good way. Even if it was just an act. "We've got moisture to farm out in the desert. A long way from here. Let's just head back, I'm sure Skye can come for dinner."

"You're right, of course. This way."

They snuck back to the ship, Fitz leading the way. Jemma had a feeling they were being followed, but she couldn't see anyone.

Daisy pulled away from the stranger and stared.

"Who are you?"

"Lincoln Campbell. Sorry about that. You're Daisy, right? Mack's told us about you, we get parts from him sometimes."

"Who's we?" Jemma asked.

Lincoln whistled and two people stepped out. The second man waved.

"This is Elena Rodriguez and José Gutierrez."

"Joey's fine," Joey said. "We were picking up parts from Mack when they arrived, something about a tip off that he was working with the Rebels."

"He's not," Daisy said.

"Well, he does supply parts," Lincoln said. "Mostly scavenged ones, but they're saying they're stolen."

"Where is he?" Fitz asked.

"Still in the shop answering questions."

"Right, I'll be back soon."

"Fitz, no," Jemma said.

"It does seem like a rash plan," Elena said. "They will likely not be happy with you."

"Mack's in trouble, I can get him out of it," Fitz said. "It's not like I'm going to stroll in there and announce myself, just cause a distraction so he can make a break for it."

"It seems like a bad idea," Daisy said.

"You were about to suggest it, weren't you?"

"And you'd tell me no. But if we go together, then maybe we can pull it off."

"All right," Jemma said. "What are we doing?"

"Just us," Fitz said. "Stealth is better with two. You stay here and take care of the _Ilum_ with these three. We won't be long, it's not the first time we've done something like this."

"Won't be the last," Daisy said. "Here." She handed Fitz her blaster. "Take care of yourself. That's an order."

"Will do, Captain."

The two of them ran off, leaving Jemma with the three newcomers.

"So," Jemma said. "Anyone for tea?"

* * *

Jemma paced until Daisy arrived with Mack.

"You see, easy. Where's Fitz?"

"With you?"

"We split up, he went to cause the distraction, I found Mack."

"We'll wait for him here," Mack said. "I'm sure he'll be fine."

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Daisy said. "Like in a Force way."

"You are a Jedi?" Elena asked. She'd gravitated to Mack's side and Daisy would normally have said something. Fitz was in trouble. If she wasn't even stopping to tease Mack, Fitz was really in trouble.

"In training," Daisy said.

"I'm going to find Fitz," Jemma said.

"No," Mack said. "Not yet. Give him a bit longer."

"The Empire could have him," Daisy said. "He could be injured, or worse."

"Fitz," Jemma said. "With the Stormtroopers." She faltered a little. He wouldn't tell them anything about the Rebels. Over his dead body, he'd say, and they'd oblige.

She couldn't lose Fitz.

A skittering came round the corner and Fitz ran onto the ship, almost picking Daisy up to drag her to the cockpit.

"Quick, Ward's with the Stormtroopers, I think he gave them the tip about Mack."

"Where've you been?"

"Distracting them and running away? Daisy, it's not even been five minutes. We have to go."

Daisy grumbled as she took her seat, but she took them away from Tatooine regardless.

Jemma waited for the two of them with the others in their seating area. Elena asked about the plant, now much larger than the small cutting Fitz had first brought in, and Mack skimmed over Fitz liking them. Jemma couldn't concentrate.

Fitz was right, he wasn't really late, just a tiny bit behind, but they'd been so worried. Jemma was fully ready never to let him out of her sight again. Or was that a little harsh? He had been very reckless. Then again, he and Daisy had clearly done this before.

The ship landed and Daisy walked through.

"I'm going to introduce this lot to the others," Daisy said. "Bobbi and Trip's X-Wings are back. You and Fitz can talk."

Jemma stayed seated as the others disembarked and Fitz came and sat next to her.

"Daisy said you were worried about me."

"I suppose we were rather quick to jump to conclusions."

"There were Stormtroopers everywhere, it's probably understandable. I almost ran into Ward but Kara pulled me down an alley."

"Kara? As in Ward's girlfriend?"

"I didn't have time to ask. You're all right though."

"I'm fine, I think because Daisy was starting to worry."

"She does that."

"It was a reckless idea, Fitz."

"And stealing an AT-ST wasn't? We joined the Rebels, Jemma, you don't get much more reckless than that."

"I guess I just realised… I couldn't live if you didn't, Fitz."

"I feel the same way."

"You're my best friend."

"You're more than that, Jemma."

"I know Daisy's your best friend and we only met accidentally, but three years is a long time, and you're important."

"Three years is a long time."

"And then I didn't have my, well, your jacket on, so I didn't have the flower in the pocket for good luck so if you'd been caught…"

"It would have been my fault for not thinking it through. Or Ward's fault for organising it. What flower?"

"The one you gave me when you first showed me your plants. Will taught me how to press flowers back home when we were growing up, so I pressed it so I could… keep… What do you mean I'm not than that? More than your best friend?"

"It's not important."

"Then why did you say something?"

"Because I haven't before because we joined the Rebels and each time we left could be our last. It didn't want to push anything on you, but then Will showed up and that just happened and Daisy said that it maybe being our last was exactly the reason I should tell you, before I lost my chance."

"What's Will got to do with it?"

"You were in love with him."

"I haven't seen him for years. Even if I was once, that doesn't mean I am now. I have dated other people before, Fitz, that doesn't mean if any of them showed up now I'd run off with them."

"I haven't. Dated people. There never seemed to be the time, and the only people I knew well enough were Daisy and Mack, maybe Raina, but they're all…"

"You don't believe in love at first sight?"

"No. Not really. Maybe there's something, a spark maybe, but you can't just fall in love with one glance, you need to get a chance to find out their flaws and passions and quirks. That takes time, and I never had time. I didn't intend to have time, not until this was over, if it ever is and I live that long, but you make it so easy to fall in love with you, Jemma Simmons."

"You're in love with me?"

"It's not important. You're right, we're best friends. You kept the flower?"

"It meant a lot. That you'd trust me. I guess I always felt a bit safer if I had it with me for luck."

"Your secret's safe with me. Though I tell Daisy everything."

"Don't you dare, Leopold."

"I think I can hear her calling us now."

Fitz offered Jemma the jacket as he stood up. He smiled as they disembarked, and didn't say anything about what he'd just admitted.

He kept not saying anything. They didn't have much to do over the next few weeks, aside from bringing in new X-Wings for Lincoln, Elena, and Joey. Trip added one for Daisy too.

He wasn't ignoring her. He just seemed to be avoiding her.

Avoiding talking about what he'd said.

He didn't even work with her on the extra X-Wings. They'd worked together on Bobbi and Trip's, but Fitz was fixing up Elena and Lincoln's with Mack and Jemma ended up working on Joey and Daisy's with Trip. Jemma liked Trip. Daisy spent a lot of time hovering over their shoulders and possibly flirting with Trip and possibly flirting with Lincoln, Jemma couldn't quite work it out.

She got stuck in as well, and Jemma could imagine Bobbi was doing the same (without the flirting) with Fitz and Mack.

"So what's up with you and Fitz?" Trip asked.

"Nothing. Nothing's up."

"The two of you are normally inseparable, yet you're here and he's over there. C'mon girl, you think none of us noticed?"

"Is this to do with your talk after we got back from Tatooine?" Daisy asked. "Because Fitz wouldn't talk to me about it and last thing Fitz didn't talk to me about was… I don't think there's ever been something Fitz hasn't talked to me about."

"So he told you how he feels about me," Jemma said.

"He didn't need to. He gave you a flower, and you kept it."

"He did tell you."

"You're not exactly subtle," Trip said. "We can see you bring it out sometimes. Those plants mean a lot to Fitz."

"He said they're the only thing he's got left of his home."

"He gave part of his home to you. He didn't join the Rebels because he wanted to fight the Empire, he joined them to stay with you."

"He said it takes months to fall in love."

"Love, yeah, Fitz had a crush on you from about the second you asked if he needed help fixing the hyperdrive," Daisy said. "What did you say to him?"

"I didn't know what to say. He had a love confession and I... He didn't give me a chance to respond. Not really."

"He wouldn't. He's convinced it's not reciprocated."

"Is it?" Trip asked.

"I don't know," Jemma said. "I haven't really thought about it. My home was destroyed and I thought everyone I knew was dead, and then we joined the Rebels, we've fought in battles, and we seemed to be working as we were. Best friends, a team, FitzSimmons, but now… It will all settle down in a few days. It'll go back to normal and Fitz and I will be friends again."

"If that's what you want," Trip said. "But it seems like the sort of thing you should talk about."

"I don't know what to say. Can't we just fix this engine and talk about that instead?"

"All right. If that's what you want."

* * *

Jemma couldn't sleep. Maybe Daisy and Trip were right. It did seem to be the kind of thing she should talk about. To Fitz.

But surely she should decide how she felt first?

That implied she felt something. Didn't it? Doubting that she just saw him as a best friend? Or maybe it was just because he'd suggested it?

Jemma pulled out her flower and twirled it. How did she feel about Fitz?

Well, she couldn't live if he didn't. She'd said that. Imagining him gone, she'd be broken hearted, she'd be distraught, she'd be angry he'd been taken from her. But wouldn't anyone if their best friend died? If it were Daisy she'd feel the same. Wouldn't she?

Sleep on it. That's what Fitz said. When you can't find an answer, sleep on it.

* * *

Jemma wasn't sure if she liked seeing Nick and Maria fly in or not. It was always nice to see people still in one piece. But it inevitably meant potentially dangerous mission.

Nick clapped Jemma on the shoulder as she joined everyone in the briefing room (or cafeteria, it had multiple uses). Something was definitely up.

She sat between Daisy and Trip. They'd moved up to make room for her.

"What's happened?" Jemma asked.

"They're building new Death Star," Andrew said. "Bigger than the last one."

"The last one took twenty years."

"This one looks like it'll be finished in three."

Jemma nodded. A new Death Star. If they got it working there would be more Alderaans. More refugees. Anyone who disobeyed the Empire would have their home destroyed and billions would be killed. They'd lose.

"How do we blow it up?"

"We don't know yet," Maria said. "We don't know the plans or anything, we just know the location."

"How do we steal the plans?"

"We've already got a team doing that. We're here for blocking the parts they need."

"They'll need a lot," Fitz said. "But they're the Empire, it's easy for them. They can just order people to churn out what they need."

"Not for the laser," Mack said. "Do you know what they used last time?"

"Kyber crystals," Nick said. "I think that's your area of expertise, Master May."

"Kyber crystals?" Bobbi asked. "I've never heard of them."

"They're rare," May said. "Very rare. They're most commonly found on Ilum."

"Like your Bus," Hunter said. May nodded.

"The planet, not the ship. Lothal had them too, occasionally, I heard rumours from an old friend that the Empire were mining there. Kyber crystals are sensitive to the Force. There are legends of the Sith using them to create weapons."

"Did the Jedi?" Trip asked.

"It's what powers a lightsaber."

"The Death Star is a giant cross between a lightsaber and a blaster," Daisy said. "So destroying it could be bad?"

"No, we're destroying it," Hunter said. "Love a good explosion when it's at the Empire's expense."

"We can't destroy it if we don't know it's weak spots," Joey said. "No matter how good your flying is-"

"It's not," Bobbi said. "Don't let him fly. He crashed into an asteroid."

"I was at lightspeed, I couldn't see it."

"-It won't make any difference if you don't have a target to shoot at," Joey finished.

"It needs power," Fitz said. "Everything does. You just need to find that."

"So we're not going to steal the plans," Bobbi said. "What are we doing?"

"You're on standby," Maria said. "As soon as we know what to blow up, we're meeting at Sullust to plan our attack."

"At least it's not Hoth again," Daisy said.

"Is that it?" Trip asked.

"If you come across any potential manufacturing plants for the Empire you can cause some trouble," Nick said. "But currently all efforts are focused on finding these plans, and we need backups, so staying out of it is the best course of action."

"Time off? There must be something we can do," Daisy said.

"We can monitor broadcasts if we can get any of this old radio equipment working," Trip said.

"I can do that," Fitz said. "It'll need reconfiguring and I'll need some replacement parts, but I can do that."

"I can help," Jemma said.

"Maybe."

"You could focus on your training," May asked. "And I'm sure you'll all want to test these X-Wings."

* * *

Nick and Maria didn't stick around for long. People to coordinate and all.

Fitz seemed quite happy working away. Things didn't seem quite like they were before, but Jemma didn't mind. She was just glad he wasn't avoiding her any more.

"Shame your place isn't still running," Fitz said to Mack. "You'd probably have all of this."

Fitz looked down at his list of parts.

"You could try Mike Peterson, he can usually be found on Corellia," Mack said. "He's all right. Works in the docks, he can point you in the direction of the right ship."

"We'll take the _Ilum_ ," Fitz said.

"What, on your own?" Daisy asked.

"I'll go," Mack said. "Mike knows me, and I can keep an eye on the two of them."

"And what if the Empire are looking for you?"

"I doubt it."

"But what if they are?"

"Mack can stay on the ship and we can send him a signal if it goes pear shaped," Jemma said. "We'll be fine, Daisy."

"I've just got a bad feeling."

"Same as last time? Fitz was fine then."

"Yeah. Maybe you're right."

"I've been to Corellia before," Fitz said. "It'll be fine. As long as we're not bringing in smuggled anything and not taking any out, it'll be fine. You never know, we might run into Raina, she hangs around there sometimes, doesn't she?"

"Oh who knows with Raina," Daisy said. "She's a mystery, that one. Probably Force Sensitive. It's a grey area. As is almost everything about her."

"What does she look like?" Jemma asked. "I've never met her."

"Humanoid, but covered in spines. Probably wearing a flowery dress, you can't miss her."

"Covered in spines?"

"She could be an Angel for all I know, she's never actually mentioned a home planet or anything. She's just Raina."

"We should be going," Fitz said. "Got to get these parts. We won't be long, Daisy. Don't send Raina after us."

"Good luck."

"You too."

* * *

It didn't take them long to get to Corellia. Fitz flew, and Jemma co-piloted. They had to have the place searched when they reached the dock, but Fitz had planned and made sure there wasn't anything that could be seen as suspicious.

"We're here to restock on rations and see if anyone needs a transport ship," he said. The official nodded and let them go past. Mack stayed waiting by the ship.

Corellia was crowded, and loud. So many people and so many colours and smells. It was a little overwhelming, but it the crowds weren't so different to Coruscant. Not so many small ships for quick jumps from place to place, but Corellia wasn't a world of cities like Coruscant had been. There were little red houses from bricks next to towering buildings, like someone had messed together two towns. People selling things lined the paths and the smell of spices washed over her.

Fitz smiled and took Jemma's hand. The two of them wandered down the road, ducking in between the crowds, looking for the address Mack gave them.

Mr Peterson lived in one of the flats in one of the towers. He answered as soon as Fitz knocked.

"Can I help you?"

"Mack sent us? He said you might be able to help us with a little problem."

He nodded and showed the two of them in.

"This is my sister Mindy, her daughter Kesha, and my son, Ace."

"Hi," Ace said.

"Leo Fitz."

"Jemma Simmons."

"Mack said you might know something about getting some parts?"

"What's wrong with his place?"

"The Empire shut it down. He's fine, he's with us, back at the ship, but we're a bit desperate." Fitz handed over his list and Mike frowned down at it.

"What are these for?"

"Maybe it's better if we tell you it's for repairing a very old, very broken, spaceship."

"You can try the docks but I doubt you'll get all of it. If you go and talk to one of the Koenigs, they might be able to set you up."

"Thank you," Jemma said. "This will certainly help keep that old ship up and running, won't it, Fitz?"

"No doubt about that, Simmons," Fitz said. "We'll leave the four of you in peace. Thanks."

The two of them said their farewells, and headed back to the dock. Fitz nodded at a bar.

"Shame Daisy's not here."

"Are you planning on starting a fight?"

"You never know, might be fun." Fitz smiled. "About before…"

"I think we need to talk," she said. That seemed to fit for now. Maybe if she talked to him she could work everything out. "But maybe not in the middle of a crowed city before we potentially steal stuff?"

"Might not be the best time."

"Maybe not. But I think that maybe…"

"Yes?"

"Is that Ward?"

Whoever it was ducked out of sight. Fitz pulled Jemma forwards.

"We need to get back to the dock."

"Sir."

"Can I help you?"

The man was dressed in the grey of an Imperial Officer, and flanked by two Stormtroopers. Fitz pushed Jemma back slightly.

"Leopold Fitz?"

"Pardon?"

"That's him," Ward said, stepping out the crowd.

"Leopold Fitz, you're under arrest," the officer said. Fitz nudged Jemma before she could draw her blaster.

"What for?"

"Joining the Rebellion."

"You think I joined the Rebels? Even if I wanted to, they'd never take me, you do know where I'm from."

"Your father was a Rebel."

"My father vanished when I was seven, I don't know what happened to him."

"Your mother hasn't seen you for years."

"You leave my mother out of this."

"And you are a known associate of Daisy Johnson."

"That's what this is about, Ward, you utter…"

"Where is Daisy, Fitz?" Ward smirked.

"Don't know, haven't seen her for ages."

"Are the Rebels keeping you both busy?"

Fitz turned and grabbed Jemma's blaster.

"Trust me," he whispered, and aimed it at her, holding onto her shoulder. "Back off."

"I could just shoot the both of you," Ward said.

"Her father's an Imperial Officer, why do you think we picked her up? She knew things we needed to know about the Death Star. I wonder if your second one is any better?"

"Drop it," Kara said. Fitz let go of Jemma and stepped back, hands raised.

"I'm not telling you a single thing about Daisy."

"We'll see," the officer said as one of the Stormtroopers pulled Fitz's hands behind him. "Good work, Grant. If you'll follow us, Miss."

"I can take her home," Kara said. "Rather than keep her with him. They must have a ship somewhere I can use."

"At the port," Jemma said. "I know which one it is."

The officer nodded and Ward stepped forward.

"I can handle it, Grant, don't you trust me?"

He nodded and followed the officer. Kara led Jemma the other way, out of sight down an alley. She handed Jemma her blaster back.

"He must really care about you to try that, but we both know your father doesn't work for the Empire. He followed you, didn't he?"

"What do you want?"

"I met Grant Ward not long after Daisy left him."

"Daisy was never with him, she just knew him."

"He said she was. He seemed charming, and I'd never had attention like that before."

"He tricked you like he tricked everyone else."

"That man was John Garrett. He practically raised Ward. He works for the Imperials."

"And they've got Fitz."

"Where is Daisy?"

"Not here."

"We'll need help if you want to get Fitz back. They won't have taking off until tomorrow. Ward's convinced Daisy will come for Fitz."

"They're best friends."

"And you?"

"He's more than that. There's Mack."

Jemma walked with Kara back to the _Ilum_. She wasn't sure if she could trust her, but if it was the only way to get Fitz back…

Fitz. With the Empire. With Ward.

In trouble.

This was worse than last time because she knew they had him. No doubt he'd tried that to get her away and wasn't expecting a rescue.

Tough, Jemma would get him. She'd shoot Ward if that was what it took. He wanted Daisy. He'd used Kara, now he was using Fitz, Jemma would protect her friend and get her Fitz back.

So much for talking.

She'd told Kara Fitz was more than that. Like he'd told her. She'd as good as admitted to Kara she was in love with Fitz.

Was she?

Jemma couldn't imagine life without Fitz by her side.

But that wasn't right.

She could imagine life without Fitz. Easily. But she didn't want to imagine life without Fitz. She wanted Fitz. She wanted to travel the galaxy with him, find her family with him, spend her whole life with Fitz.

She wouldn't mind kissing him either.

Trip was right.

Jemma gripped her blaster and walked as quickly as she could through the dock.

She was getting Fitz back if it was the last thing she did.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

-:-

Mack did not think it was a good idea to trust Kara. It probably wasn't. But Jemma needed to. She needed to find Fitz.

Kara knew where their ship was. It was only because Mack held her back that Jemma didn't go charging off.

Jemma's eyes shone.

"I have got an idea."

* * *

Kara walked up to Garrett's ship. No one questioned as she stepped on board.

She took a seat next to Fitz.

"I thought Garrett was a bounty hunter?"

"The Empire has more benefits."

"Like what?"

"Not being arrested?"

"Stop talking," one of the Stormtroopers said, aiming his blaster at Fitz.

"Hey, Ward. Are you in there? I'm here for Fitz."

"That's Daisy," Kara said. Fitz stood as she wrapped her hands around his arm and let himself be lead out. A figure was standing there with her hood pulled up over her head and a long cloak. Fitz raised an eyebrow. "Come over here, Johnson."

"Let Fitz go first, Palamas."

"Go and find Garrett," Kara said to one of the Stormtroopers. That just left two.

Mack hit them both over the head as Jemma pulled the cloak off. She rushed over to Fitz.

"I go to all that trouble to get you out of it and you come running straight back."

"Oh, thank you for saving me, Jemma, Mack, and Kara, don't mention it, Fitz, we couldn't leave you behind, I think I might love you."

"Pardon?"

"We can do that later," Mack said. "Will you two run?"

Jemma pulled the cloak over Fitz as they sprinted away. They had to get to the _Ilum_ before Ward and Garrett did.

There were already Stormtroopers by it. Jemma drew her blaster, as did Kara. Mack held onto Fitz.

Mike Peterson walked past, talking to three identical people.

"Oh good," Mike said. "Help. There's a ship just arrived and the captain looks awfully like Leia Organa, we don't want any trouble but if there's a smuggled shipment with ties to the Rebels, you should probably know."

"Which way?"

The Stormtroopers followed the Koenigs (or that's who Jemma assumed they were) and Mike brought up the rear. He winked at them and the four dove onto the _Ilum_. Mack started her engine as Ward arrived outside.

They took off.

* * *

The four of them passed Sullust and fell down laughing. Mack stopped the ship while they tried to pull themselves together.

"It's not even funny," Jemma said, wiping her eyes.

"We could have all died," Fitz said, sitting up. "Maybe we're laughing because we still can."

"I know something funny," Kara said. "Can you imagine Ward's face when he finds out?"

The four of them fell back again. Mack took a large breath to try and control himself, then hiccupped. That didn't help them calm down either.

Kara was the first. She sat up and breathed slowly. The rest soon followed.

"Holy cow," Fitz said. "That was a close one."

"Yeah," Mack said. "What were you thinking, Turbo?"

"Ward and his Imperial mates were right there, I had to improvise, and it was better that they just had me instead of me and Jemma. You were supposed to get somewhere safe."

"And you honestly thought they'd let Jemma just fly off."

"Kara helped me before, I hoped. And she did help. Just not how I thought."

"We weren't going to leave you behind, Fitz," Jemma said. "Did you not pay any attention last time?"

"It's behind us now," Kara said. "What happens now?"

"I hadn't thought this far honestly. I was just focusing on getting Fitz back."

"Back to base?" Fitz asked.

"Base is crowded as it is," Mack said. "And this could be a trap."

"It's not," Kara said. "But I understand the concern."

The four of them sat down. Ward could be following them if they went back, Jemma said. Fitz asked if they should ditch the ship, but she was home. They couldn't just leave the _Ilum._ Maybe it was the smart choice though.

Mack suggested finding Raina, only they had no idea how to do that.

"We could find my mother," Fitz said.

"You want us to go to _Naboo_?" Mack us. "We've had one run in with the Empire today, that is a bad idea."

"I've run out of ideas."

"I guess we'll have to take the risk and go back to base then," Jemma said. "Unless Nick and Maria are already on the base near Sullust. We're already part way there."

"Good plan," Fitz said. He yawned. "But after sleep. It's been a long day."

* * *

Jemma hadn't really meant to sneak into Fitz's room in the middle of the, well, it probably wasn't night, but while everyone else was asleep. Only Fitz wasn't asleep. Fitz wasn't even in his bunk. She checked the cockpit, but he wasn't there either. They had definitely rescued him and he couldn't have left the ship, he must-

"Simmons?"

"Fitz."

She probably should have checked his cupboard with his plants first. He smiled.

"You okay?"

"Fine."

"Because it looks like you were looking for me."

"I was."

"I'm sorry for scaring you, Jemma."

"You didn't intend to."

"You said…"

"I know what I said."

"Did you mean it?"

She kissed him. Fitz froze as Jemma pulled back. The two looked at each other, then kissed again.

She only focused on Fitz, everything else seemed to fade around her.

Jemma took a deep breath. She watched Fitz.

"That was…"

"Yeah."

They sat down next to each other.

"So do we talk about this?" Fitz asked.

"Probably," Jemma said. "It was nice though."

"That's one way of putting it."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, you know."

Jemma laughed. Fitz smiled at her.

"It was more than nice," Fitz said.

Jemma sighed, resting her head on his shoulder. She pulled the flower out her pocket. Fitz looked down at it. Three years in a pocket probably wasn't good for it. One of the petals had fallen off and the rest were damaged. Fitz offered his palm and Jemma put it down.

"It was silly."

"It was sweet. But maybe it's a bit past it's best." He plucked another one and gave it to her. "Beautiful. Just like you."

* * *

Fury and Hill were at the base and they seemed more than happy to talk to Kara. They waited for a few days before heading back, to make sure they weren't followed.

But they were back at last.

Daisy leapt at them as they disembarked, somehow hugging all three of them at once.

"You're back."

"Hi," Fitz said.

"Hey," Trip said. "Did you get those parts you needed?"

"Parts? Oh, those, er, no."

"You were gone for days," Bobbi said. "And you didn't get what you need?"

"We got distracted," Fitz said.

"What did you do?" Andrew asked.

* * *

Jemma and Fitz left out their kiss (kisses; plural). Mack didn't say anything either, though he must have noticed. He'd definitely heard what she'd said.

No one asked about it though. They must have been subtle enough to get away with it. Not that anyone would care. Daisy and Trip already half knew. But it had only been a few hours and they should probably get used to it first. Keep it to themselves until they knew for sure it was going to work.

They hid in with Fitz's plants after dinner and to talk and kissed some more, so Jemma was pretty sure it was going to work.

Plus it was Fitz. They were already a pair. Now they were just a pair in another way.

They slept in their own bunks. Trip and Daisy might notice. And keeping it a secret was a little thrilling.

Trip noticed them working together on Lincoln's X-Wing and raised an eyebrow, but Jemma just smiled at him. Fitz asked her what it was about and she told him about their conversation.

They laughed and got back to work.

* * *

It was all Fitz's fault really. If he hadn't been being ridiculous and adorable she wouldn't have needed to kiss him and Trip wouldn't have walked in intending to ask Fitz whether or not he could look through his toolboxes for something and instead finding them with their mouths against each other.

"I guess I'll come back later then," Trip said.

"We can explain," Fitz said. "Jemma wanted practise for, erm, well, you see, er…"

"What's going on?" Hunter asked.

"FitzSimmons are snogging in a cupboard," Trip said.

"Nice. Bobbi found your thing."

"What do you mean, nice?" Jemma asked.

"To be honest, I thought you'd been doing this since the beginning," Hunter said. Trip shrugged.

"It's not really a huge surprise," he said. "We wondered why you wanted to go alone."

"Don't know why you bothered trying to keep it a secret really, everyone knows about Bob and me, and we all assumed about you."

"It was sort of an accident," Fitz said. "Daisy's going to be so annoyed I didn't come and tell her immediately."

"Maybe I should tell her."

"Hunter, no."

"I know where she is."

"Lance Hunter, if you take one more step I'll… I'll tell Bobbi you touched the _Mockingbird_ yesterday."

"You wouldn't."

"Try me."

"That sounds like a dare, mate."

The two went tearing off to find Daisy. Trip and Jemma rolled their eyes.

"So," Trip said.

"We talked, like you said. And we kissed. A lot. I suppose we were just trying to get settled before we told everyone."

"Makes sense. I don't think that's happening anymore."

"It's fine."

"You sure?"

"I would have said something if it wasn't, and Fitz would have asked instead of mock threatening him."

"The _Mockingbird_ needs a tune up, if you want to help. We're going to Sullust in two days."

"It's time?"

"One last push."

* * *

May smiled. Andrew congratulated the two of them. Bobbi hugged them both and Daisy pretended not to talk to them for about five seconds then hugged them.

"At last, I thought the two of you would never get your acts together and I was going to have to get involved."

"Please don't," Fitz said.

Lincoln, Joey, and Elena all wished them well too, and Mack sighed in relief that he didn't have to hide it anymore.

Fitz did tell Bobbi about Hunter and her ship, but she already knew, which was why Trip was giving it once over. Fitz knew she knew. He smiled at Jemma and kissed her forehead, wrapping his arm around her.

"Sullust," May said.

* * *

"Nick," May said. He greeted the three of them. Jemma hugged Kara as she appeared. "What's the plan?"

"There's a meeting inside. The whole Rebel Fleet is here."

"Is that wise?"

"The Empire has built a new Death Star. I'm not sure we've got a lot of options left."

Jemma stayed near the back with Daisy, Trip, and Fitz. She hadn't known there were this many Rebels, they weren't all at Hoth.

Mon Mothma started talking, telling them about the new Death Star. How it wasn't operational, and the Emperor would be on it. Admiral Akbar told them about the plan to attack it.

"That's us," Lincoln said.

"We need a better name than Blue Team," Daisy said. "How about the Secret Warriors?"

"General Madine," Admiral Akbar said. He stepped forward to tell them about the Tie they'd stolen. The plan was they'd go through the defences and deactivate the shields from the planet.

Daisy looked concerned.

"General Solo, is your strike team assembled?"

"Uh, my team's ready, I don't have a command crew for the shuttle."

Daisy looked at Fitz.

"We're on the team, if no one else volunteers I will, but something tells me Chewbacca and Princess Leia will do it."

"And Luke Skywalker," Jemma said as he walked in. "Or I assume that's Luke Skywalker."

"Here goes nothing," Trip said. "We'll see you on the other side."

* * *

Jemma and Fitz were all set. She'd set Fitz's jacket down as they changed into the uniforms ready for heading down to the planet.

Daisy ran up to her and hugged her. Trip hugged them too, and Bobbi. Hunter, Andrew, May, Lincoln, Joey, Elena, and Mack, they were all there. Will was too, and Kara.

"After all that and we're splitting up," Hunter said. "You three take care of that Bus now."

"You're coming with us?" Fitz asked.

"Like anyone was going to let me fly after Bobbi's story."

"You crashed into an asteroid."

"Once." Hunter smiled. Jemma could see his eyes watering. "We'll all be fine."

"Course we will," Trip said. "We'll meet you back home on the _Ilum_ and then Jemma can find her parents and we'll take Fitz back to Naboo so he can find his mother, stop at Concord Dawn to find Daisy's parents, and my mother will love you all. You know my grandparents fought for the Republic, had a whole team, we can swap war stories with them while we retire. You've seen Corellia. It'll be a good place to spend the rest of my life."

"It's nothing compared to Naboo," Fitz said. "The colours, the smells, it was always such a happy place. There's fields and lakes, you know the Gungans have underwater tunnels that travel right through the centre of the planet."

"It really is beautiful," Hunter said.

"You never said where you and Bobbi were from," Jemma said. "I was born on Courscant but grew up on Alderaan, Daisy is from Concord Dawn."

"Let's not retire there," Daisy said. "It's mostly rocks, kind of boring compared to the rest of the galaxy."

"Trip's from Corellia, May is from Devaron, Mack's from Tatooine, and Fitz is from Naboo."

"Corellia," Bobbi said. "I used to watch the ships come in and wish I could fly."

"Bespin," Andrew said. "I worked for the Republic last time as medical."

"You probably met Uncle Steve then," Trip said. "The stories Grandma Peggy and Grandpa Gabe have about him, and the rest of them."

"Jim Morita's captain?"

"That's the one, though everyone knows Grandma Peggy was in charge really."

"You might be outvoted for the Corellia," Joey said. "It's a busy place."

"Born in space," Lincoln said. "My parents had a merchant ship. We never really landed. Probably never will. I don't know what I'd do if I wasn't flying."

"Takodana," Elena said. "It is like your Naboo, very green. Lots of smugglers, Daisy would like it."

"What about you, Hunter?" Jemma asked.

"Alderaan, actually. I never wanted to leave. It just happened that way. I was going to join the Royal Guard with Idaho and Izzy. But things got in the way, I ended up a bounty hunter, met Bobbi, met the rest of you, and now I'm here. Hadn't been back for years anyway, this isn't, I didn't have anything left there. But I don't have a family or a home to take you to if that's what you're asking."

"Fitz, you ready?" someone called.

"Yeah, we're coming. Goodbye then, everyone."

"Don't say that," Daisy said. "Don't, it sounds liked, it sounds…"

"We'll see you after the battle," Jemma said.

"Yeah," Daisy said. "You come back. That's an order, Leopold."

"Yes, Captain. May, Mack, Andrew, you take care of my ship now, she's my home, she is."

"Our home," Daisy said. She hugged him, then turned to Jemma. "I'll see you later, Jemma."

Daisy hugged her. Jemma tried not to cry.

"Bye everyone," Fitz said. "We'll see you soon."

"Hey," Bobbi said. "Hunter."

"Yeah?"

She kissed him.

"Take care of those two. And yourself."

"You too, Bob."

"May the Force by with you," May said.

"And you," Jemma said. She held Fitz's hand and headed to join the rest of the group that was going down to the planet. They waved.

"We are going to see them again," Fitz said. "Right? Daisy, she'll be, she'll come back."

"Course she will," Hunter said, clapping him on the shoulder. "She's Daisy Johnson. Half Mandalorian Jedi, she can handle whatever the galaxy throws at her."

"It's not the galaxy I'm worried about. It's the Empire."

"She'll be fine, Fitz," Jemma said. "We all will. I've got my lucky flower. It's going to work."

* * *

So far it was not working. They were outside the bunker they needed to get in, surrounded by Stormtroopers. Jemma had her hands on the back of her head. So did Fitz and Hunter next to her. They'd made her give them her blaster.

Some small fluffy things jumped over and Jemma grabbed the blaster. She shot one of the Stormtroopers as the fluffy things jumped down and attacked.

"I guess they're friends then," Hunter said, turning to them. "Really, is now the time?"

Fitz pulled back from kissing Jemma.

"You got to give your girlfriend one last kiss."

"Girlfriend?" Jemma asked. "I rather like that." She shot a Stormtrooper and tossed Fitz their blaster. "Don't drop it this time."

"I can't believe this," Hunter said. "Do you think they're all right up there?"

"Probably doing better than we are down here," Jemma said. Fitz and her were back to back now, shooting any Stormtroppers that came close. Hunter rolled out the way of an AT-ST.

"Think we should steal it?"

"Shut up and shoot, Hunter."

"Yes, ma'am."

Rebels and Stormtroopers alike were falling around them. They managed to start heading towards the bunker.

A Stromtrooper aimed its blaster at Jemma and Hunter fell to the floor, clutching his side. Fitz and Simmons dropped down next to him. Jemma rolled him over.

"I'm okay, I'm okay."

"Did you just take a blast for me?"

"I told Bobbi I'd look out for the two of you."

"And yourself."

They took cover next to the bunker. Jemma propped Hunter up and rolled up his top. She ripped the bottom of her own and pressed it to his side. Hunter was babbling about something.

"Did you ever see the palace, Simmons?"

"On Alderaan?"

"Oh, it was so beautiful. I wish I could have seen it one last time. You don't know how lucky you are, Fitz. Being able to go home."

"You've got a home. On the _Ilum_ , with us. With Bobbi."

Jemma busied herself with his side. An AT-ST walked up to the door, but Chewbacca stood up from inside it. He fired a shot at the door as the others backed away. Fitz stood up.

"Get Hunter somewhere safe, I'll go help with the charges."

"He'll be fine," Jemma said. "It's just a graze, Andrew will take care of it."

"I'll see you both in a minute." Fitz kissed her. "I love you, Jemma."

"Love you too. Come on, Hunter, let's back away from the thing that's about to explode."

Jemma helped him limp further away and waited. Fitz would be fine. Daisy, Trip, they were all fine. She couldn't really see what was going on up there, but she could just about make out the Death Star.

Fitz ran towards them, grabbing hold of Jemma's hand and turning her around.

The bunker exploded behind them. Fitz covered Jemma's ears.

The three of them looked up and waited.

The Death Star exploded.

Fitz gripped Jemma's hand and smiled.

* * *

The _Ilum_ landed first and Jemma and Fitz helped Hunter on board, taking him straight to Andrew.

Fitz was crying as he hugged Mack. Jemma felt a sudden panic for Daisy.

Trip joined them. Lincoln, Elena, Joey, Kara, and Will. They all cried over each other.

Fitz was holding his breath. Daisy and Bobbi were still missing. And Lincoln had said they'd had heavy losses up there.

Everyone was starting to head off and there was still no sign of either of Bobbi or Daisy.

Jemma hugged Fitz.

"Ow, my head. Hey, Andrew, I'm never complaining again, next time I see a medic that isn't you I refuse to get treated until they turn into you."

Fitz jumped on her, holding her tightly.

"You're alive."

"Fitz. You made it."

"We all did," Jemma said. "Mostly."

"What do you mean, 'mostly'?" Bobbi asked.

"I got shot," Hunter said, limping forwards to embrace her. "It's fine. Just taking a blaster bolt meant for Jemma, no big deal."

"Bit of a big deal," Fitz said. "I thought I'd lost you, Daisy."

"Nah, you're stuck with me, who else is going to pull you into life threatening danger, Simmons?" Daisy hugged them. "I'm glad you're both okay."

"You too. There's a party."

"Count me in."

* * *

Hunter was recounting their story to Bobbi, complete with added dramatics. The rest of them were laughing. And Jemma had her hand in Fitz's.

"Oi, Solo!" Daisy shouted. He turned round from where he was with Princess Leia, Chewbacca, and Lando Calrissian.

"Daisy Johnson, as I live and breathe. Here to try and steal my ship again?"

"Nah, I've got my own, and she's a thing of beauty. You know, you're all right, Solo. You're all right."

"Fitz still with you?"

"Hey," Fitz waved.

"Might need a hand fixing up the _Falcon_."

"Don't push your luck. He's my crew member now. Your mate Luke somewhere? We found something that belongs to him." Daisy tossed him the lightsaber.

"Where did you get that?" He asked. Daisy tapped the side of her nose and smirked.

"You're a Jedi," Princess Leia said.

"Daisy Johnson, a Jedi?" Han Solo said.

"And a good one at that," May said.

"Hey, Luke, get over here."

Luke Skywalker approached and Han gave him the lightsaber.

"Hi."

"Hi."

"I knew your father," May said. "A long time ago. When he was about your age. You're a lot like him. Good pilot, a leader, and an exceptional Jedi. But you've got your mother's heart."

"You knew our mother?"

"Not really. You'll want to be asking Fitz here about her."

"Me?"

"Her name was Padmé," Princess Leia said.

"Padmé Amidala was your mother? What, really?"

"You knew her?"

"No, but I've heard of her, she's like, she's a legend, she was our Queen, on Naboo, she was fourteen when she was elected, before I was born, but my parents talked about her, she united the humans and the Gungans and she was loved so much she was offered the position to keep, but she believed in democracy and when her time was up she stepped down and was made Senator. When her body was returned we were told she died in childbirth, the planet, but any relationship she had wasn't public-"

"Because Jedi weren't supposed to get married or have children," May said.

"So there was a split, so many people thought she'd actually been murdered by the Emperor because she was the only thing standing in his way, if she'd been there that day none of this would have happened. It was in her name the first people from Naboo went to fight the Empire, including my father. Just visit Theed and ask anyone, they'll tell you all about her. Or anywhere on Naboo really."

"I guess we'll be seeing you again then," Daisy said. "Seems like we've got a lot to talk about."

"Yeah," Han Solo said. Daisy shook his hand as she headed away. "Don't touch my ship!"

"Wouldn't dream of it!"

"Good seeing you again, Fitz."

"You too. Come on, Jemma."

He slung his arm over her shoulder as they meandered through the crowds back to the others.

"So," Bobbi said. "I guess it's over."

"Well," Daisy said. "There's probably going to be a power vacuum we need to sort out. People still following the Emperor even though he's dead."

"And my mother would never forgive me if I didn't bring you all to visit," Fitz said. "So you're all going to have to come with me to Naboo, really."

"Same here," Trip said. "I might need help telling my grandparents and various uncles and aunts these stories."

"It's not like I've got a planet to go to," Lincoln said.

"They're talking about setting up a colony on Yavin 4," Elena said. "It's green."

"Green sounds nice," Andrew said. May and Will nodded in agreement.

"So we're sticking together?" Hunter asked.

"Well, the _Ilum_ is home," Daisy said. "And she's a spaceship, so we can visit all the other planets in the galaxy. But it's probably easier to start up on a new planet than bicker over which one we want to park her on. Maybe we can build a proper house with actual beds so there's enough for everyone."

"Yavin 4 is a moon."

"Don't ruin the moment, Fitz."

They looked up to the skies together, fireworks echoing above their heads and across the galaxy. It was over. They won. Time for a new beginning.

Together.

Jemma took the flower out her pocket and smiled. She had Fitz's jacket on again. Her jacket. He was smiling next to her.

Whatever came next, she'd be doing it with Fitz and her friends at her side.

Jemma slipped the flower back and rested her head on Fitz's shoulder.

They sat and waited for the sun to come up.


End file.
